


To Love, Honor, and Annoy

by BettyHT



Series: Toni [2]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 15:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: Second in the Toni series. Adam and Toni have a wedding to plan, but there's a jealous woman, a jealous man, and a plan to disrupt those wedding plans in a most final way.





	To Love, Honor, and Annoy

To Love, Honor, and Annoy

Chapter 1

It was getting late and both Ben and Tony were likely thinking it was time for Adam and Toni to get back in the house to retire for the evening, but the couple still hadn't settled any of the questions they had been discussing. Adam had thought they might marry quickly and have a big party later. Toni wasn't in favor of that idea at all. He tried one last time.

"How about Friday? We could have a small ceremony. That way you could stay here in the house with me. We could have a large wedding ceremony later and the big party our fathers want."

"Adam, that is impossible. I want my sisters here for my real wedding not for some sham wedding we stage. Papa's house is not ready. There is so much to do on the ranch. Papa wants to leave Saturday for home, and he won't be back for a month. Oh – where am I going to live for a month?"

"You could stay here as our guest just as you have been." Adam had tried that out earlier with no success. He didn't get a favorable response this time either.

Raising her eyebrows, Toni gave Adam one of those looks that said there was no way he understood. Of course he did understand, but he simply didn't care what people thought about their living arrangements until they were married. To Adam, people who were your friends were going to assume you were honorable, and people who weren't friends would assume the worst regardless. Toni's mother had drilled into her however that appearances were important. So even though she rode horses with a regular saddle and not side-saddle, she wore a split skirt and not pants. It was her concession to decorum and had been a compromise with her mother. Her mother had passed away only a year ago, and Toni still felt the need to honor her memory by following the lessons that she had been taught. Engaged to be married only a few hours earlier, Adam and Toni were already finding that there was much they needed to learn about each other.

"So what do you want to do? We need to come up with a plan."

"Is there some place I could stay for a month while Papa is away but so I can be here to prepare for the wedding and get the new rancho updated?"

"Well there is a boarding house in town, but we won't be seeing much of each other that way. It's a long ride. If we meet in town, everything we do will be 'news' that will spread like wildfire. I would like to keep our life a lot more private than that."

"You are that much a subject of news in town?"

"The Cartwrights are that much in the news, yes. Or probably more accurately, we are grist for the rumor mill or fodder for the cows on the gossip circuit or any way you would like to describe it. Anything we do seems to become the basis for stories to be spread."

"Perhaps we should talk to the newspaper and put in the accurate story? Wouldn't that put a stop to all the inaccuracies?"

Her solution to the gossip had the merit of being logical, but it offended Adam's sense of privacy. He didn't know exactly how to explain that to her, but tried.

"So you would rather keep quiet about what we're planning and risk all sorts of wild rumors and gossip instead of offering the newspaper a simple straightforward story that says we are to be married in six weeks?"

Conceding her point, Adam agreed that they could ride into town and give the story to the newspaper the next morning as long as they didn't share too many details.

"So, we're agreed that we'll be married in six weeks?" Adam had to nod. "I'll talk with Papa and see what he thinks. Perhaps one of my sisters can stay here to help me plan, and that would work out well for us I think. Of course, each has a small child who would have to come along."

"Will one of your sisters be able to be here by the end of the week?"

"If not, one could be here soon after. That should not be a problem, I think. If your father does not mind an extra houseguest for a short time until the house at the rancho is ready for us, then we could stay here. That would make me very happy. I think that would make you happy too, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would. Where would you like the wedding to be then?"

"In six weeks on Papa's new rancho. Then perhaps your father could have the big party here that he wants to have." Toni smiled at Adam then. "We have both waited a long time. I don't want to wait much longer either, but I want a wedding that would make my Mama so proud. I already know she is happy for me." It was so comfortable being with Adam. She could say whatever she thought, and he would think about it, and then respond to her. She could tell that he thought six weeks was a long time by the look on his face, but he thought about what she had said even as she continued. "We won't be seeing as much of each other during that time. We will both be very busy. I'm sure they are missing you in the work at the rancho here, and I will be very busy with wedding plans and getting Papa's ranch ready."

"I don't want you riding into town alone. You need to have someone with you whenever you go to town." At that, Toni got a look that Adam hadn't seen yet.

"I have been riding by myself at home since I was twelve. I will not be treated as less than an adult now!"

"It isn't that. Virginia City is a lot rougher town than the small settled community where you grew up. There are miners, loggers, and ranch hands moving through here by the hundreds sometimes. Many are very rough characters, and a lot are dishonest too. With no family and no home here, they have no stake in the community and nothing to hold them in line. Things can get pretty rough and unexpectedly. We always ride in pairs when we have banking to do or if we are picking up valuable cargo. Don't I have a right to be concerned about your safety?"

"Well you could have told me that first instead of issuing an order!"

"I'm sorry if it sounded like an order. I can be a little bossy sometimes but only because I care for the safety and welfare of the people who are important to me!"

"Did we just have our first fight?"

"No, that was just a little disagreement. I have a feeling that when the two of us have our first fight, the whole Comstock will be able to hear." With that, Adam pulled Toni toward him on the bench seat, wrapped his arms around her, and murmured in her ear, "We could practice making up though." Toni snuggled into his embrace, and kissed him tenderly.

As it was getting late, and they needed to get some rest with all the work and planning they needed to do soon, they walked arm-in-arm inside. Joe and Hoss were finishing up a checkers game, and Ben and Tony were sharing a late night brandy. It was a warm night, and with the window open, they had all heard Adam and Toni raise their voices at each other for a bit, but no one could hear what the disagreement had been as it wasn't quite loud enough. The couple told everyone what their plans were so far, and Tony was happy to agree that one or both of his other daughters should come to 'chaperone' the couple. He planned on sending some telegrams first thing Monday morning anyway so they would just be a bit longer. He expected that his older daughters would be delighted that their youngest sister was finally getting married and would be thrilled to help with the planning. Then Adam and Toni said good night and headed up the stairs. Everyone expected that they would need a few minutes of privacy so they waited in the great room.

Joe looked up the stairs and then nudged Hoss' elbow. "Hoss, do you think they thought about their wedding vows yet, and what they will promise to each other?"

"Nah, they only now got engaged and set the date. Ain't been no time to work out all those details yet. Why?"

"Well with the way they both are, I thought maybe they could promise a lifetime together to 'love, honor, and annoy' each other." Joe started giggling then in that loud cackle he had.

"Joseph!" but Ben was fighting hard not to smile. Tony let it go though because he wasn't offended. He knew his daughter well, and soon all four were laughing hysterically.

Upstairs, Adam and Toni were kissing good night at her bedroom door when they heard the laughter.

Looking toward the stairs, Toni was curious. "What do you suppose that laughter is all about?"

"Well if I was taking a bet, it would be that the subject was us, and someone, probably Joe, had some pithy comment." And from the sounds of the laughter, she agreed because it had started with Joe. As the laughter diminished, Adam kissed her softly one last time for the night. "Probably best to go to bed now. If you go look, it will just set them off again, and if I kiss you any more, I may not be able to stop. Six weeks seems like a very long time right about now." Toni stood there with that look again that Adam was beginning to recognize. "Oh-oh, someone is starting to plan something again."

With a smile, Toni turned into the guest room, "Tomorrow is soon enough."

Adam stood there and was almost worried for Joe, but then he decided Joe deserved whatever he was going to get. So he went to his room and closed the door expecting that he would sleep very well indeed, and he did.

Chapter 2

Monday morning was a busy time. After breakfast, Tony and Ben were going to town to hire men for Tony's ranch. However when they arrived in town, the first order of business was the newspaper office. Adam and Toni had written out a short notice of the couple's wedding engagement to be delivered to the newspaper office. Adam had talked it over with Toni that morning convincing her that a written submission would be better because there would be no additional questions. The paper would have the essential information and be happy to have the exclusive. The two had worked out the details of what they wanted to divulge to the newspaper readers and then sent the resulting copy with their fathers who dutifully delivered it to the Territorial Enterprise. There indeed were questions there but both fathers deferred telling the editor that he would need to ask the couple if they ever decided to be in his office to be interviewed. He got the message and thanked them for the information he did have.

The second order of business was the telegraph office where Tony sent three telegrams to inform his daughters and those at his rancho of the good news. Ben sent some too to friends he knew would want to know. Tony needed a foreman to oversee the work on his new ranch, and they needed some men with carpentry experience because all of the buildings needed repair so he followed Ben to several homes in town to hire some men that Ben knew to be reliable. In addition, they headed to a variety of stores to order supplies for building and fence repair. Tony handed over lists to each shopkeeper and all said they had enough supplies on hand to fill his orders. Ben had offered Tony the use of the buckboard, but Tony thought they would need it too much so they went to the livery to see if there was a wagon for sale or rent. Tony bought a wagon that had been repaired, but he needed to buy a draft team too, and he wanted to have riding horses available for Toni and her sisters as well. They were able to purchase draft horses at the livery, nothing flashy but strong and dependable. Ben suggested that Tony buy three riding horses from the Ponderosa as he knew that Joe had a number of good horses for sale. Tony put in an order at the saddle shop for tack and saddles. All the items were to be ready no later than Thursday.

"I don't think I have ever been busier. But it is a good kind of busy. There is so much hope for the future now. I am truly happy I think for the first time since Rosa left us. You know how that is, Ben, more than anyone else can understand. You lost three wives, but losing the woman who had been at my side for over thirty years put me down in a deep black hole for a while. This fight over the rancho had one good outcome as I had to get on with my life or lose what I had left. Now with Toni and Adam planning a wedding, I am happier than I could have imagined a year ago."

"Adam's getting married?" Ben turned to see Roy Coffee had walked up behind him. "Ben I saw you all around town this morning and just couldn't seem to catch up to ya. I was wondering what had you so all fired busy, but I guess I know some of the reason now. Well who is the lucky gal?"

"Roy, you remember Tony and his daughter who I introduced to you just after they arrived here on the stage. Well it is Tony's daughter Toni who Adam will marry."

"Tony?"

"No I'm sorry, her name is Antoinette but everyone calls her Toni, with an 'i'. Well it's a little late for lunch, but I'm famished. Would you care to join us for a late lunch? We can talk more then."

"Sorry, I can't do that. But I think Paul was headed over there cause he had a busy morning and ain't had time to eat yet." At Ben's worried look, "Nah, nothing serious, just a bunch of scrapes and cuts, and a few ladies with female concerns." At Ben's look, Roy just said "It's my job to know what's going on hereabouts. Well good day to ya then, and give my congratulations to that boy a yours."

As Tony and Ben entered the restaurant, they saw Paul seated at a table near the window. He had not ordered yet but was just enjoying a cup of coffee first and reading the latest edition of the newspaper. He was happy to have Ben and Tony join him.

"Well, Ben, it is good to see you without having to pull out my bag to repair whatever the latest damage has been to one of your sons. What brings you into town today?"

"I'm happy to say that Tony has been successful in negotiating the purchase of a ranch here. As a result, he needed workers and supplies to get everything shipshape. And we had to send the good news out to that Adam is getting married."

Paul's voice rose "Adam's getting married! Well there're going to be a lot of disappointed ladies here now that the most eligible bachelor is no longer available." Looking at Tony, "Would I be correct in assuming that the young lady is your daughter, sir?" Tony could not help but grin in response. "Perhaps we could have a little wine with lunch to toast the good news. And congratulations to you both!"

The ladies from the Church Benevolent Society were just finishing up coffee and dessert that they had treated themselves to after working at the church all morning. They all had overheard the news, and most couldn't wait to excuse themselves to get out there to share what they had learned.

This was the best story they had heard in a long time.

One of the biggest gossips of all, Angela Dawson, crowed about it. "All the eligible ladies in Virginia City, why even Susan here, that he squired around but never married, and this plain looking woman comes waltzing in from California and squeezes a marriage proposal out of him in about two weeks. Now that is some kind of woman. I need to meet the woman who finally tamed that oldest Cartwright son. She must have some kind of magic."

The other ladies all shared their versions of that same thought with varying degrees of admiration for Toni and her ability to win the heart of Adam Cartwright when so many others had failed. Several more mentioned Susan in that listing before the ladies made their exit. Mrs. Taylor was getting up to leave with the last of them when she realized her daughter was still seated and making no move to get up. Susan just stared at the table where the three men were sharing a toast. Her mother saw her expression and worried about what she was thinking.

"Susan, you will not make any trouble for that young lady."

"Oh no, mother, I would not dream of making trouble for her."

Instead at that moment, she was thinking of what she could do to make that Adam Cartwright regret what he had done to her. She already knew some words that she knew would set him off. He was just like dynamite, and she only had to ready the blasting caps and light the fuse. She began to plan. As she did, she envisioned all sorts of evil that she could do to Adam, and then she thought of ways to include the woman who had stolen him away from her. In her mind, there was nothing that was too awful to happen to the two of them. By the time she rose to walk out with her mother, she was smiling, but it was a feral smile that made her mother very worried despite what her daughter had said.

Mrs. Taylor knew that Susan still wanted Adam Cartwright for her own and had never given up on that fantasy and worried about what she might do now that he was set on marrying another. She thought she should keep a close eye on what her daughter was doing over the next few weeks and who she was seeing. She hoped that whatever plan Susan concocted, she might be able to thwart it before Susan was able to do anything to hurt anyone. She worried about her daughter knowing there was something not right in her mind but not knowing what to do about it. She had consulted with Doctor Paul Martin and had found no answers. All she had succeeded in doing was worrying another because when she had mentioned some of Susan's strange behaviors, he had become quite concerned but still had no answers. The minister had no answers either. She was reduced to only one option and that was watching her daughter for she knew that Susan feared only one thing: getting caught and punished for wrongdoing. That bothered her so a close watch on her was the best solution anyone could offer. It wasn't much though, and Mrs. Taylor feared what might happen.

Chapter 3

Late on Monday afternoon, Adam and Toni arrived in town with a long list of things to do. Toni had been taking measurements for curtains for the house on Tony's new ranch and wanted to get some fabric so she could begin cutting and sewing. She also wanted to go to the dressmaker's shop and start looking at fabric for a wedding dress. Her sisters would help with the sewing but she had a good sense of color coordination and wanted to get started as soon as possible on the curtains. For her dress, she wanted to wait and get input from one or both of her sisters. Adam and Toni were also going to go to the reverend's house to make sure that the date they chose was acceptable for a church wedding service. Then they hoped to have a dinner with just the two of them so they could talk about other plans for their future. Adam had started his day very early and worked without a lunch so he could accompany Toni to town, and now he was famished which he told Toni that of course meant he understood how Hoss felt all the time. As they made their way about town, it was clear that the word of their wedding was well circulated. They had to stop and greet everyone who had even the slightest acquaintance with Adam so that he could introduce his future wife.

"Well Pa said he was only going to tell Roy and Paul which meant the word would have slowly gotten around town this week, but it seems that more than just the two of them found out because this is the all out barrage that only some of our talkative ladies could have orchestrated."

"I don't mind meeting all your friends and being congratulated on my fine catch." Toni grinned at him with mischief in her whole expression. "You're not going to blush, are you?" That got her the double eyebrow raise causing her to howl with laughter briefly until she realized how many people were staring. Adam just shook his head, offered her his arm again, and pointed in the direction of the church.

"Just one more stop before dinner. Behave yourself now. This is a man of the church we are going to see."

Toni quieted. The minister had looked rather stern up there at the lectern in church the past two Sundays. As they neared his house, two boys raced around the corner and nearly collided with them.

"Whoa, what's the hurry boys?"

"Adam, please let us go. The monster is going to catch us!"

"Would that be the same monster that was chasing you the last time I visited?"

At that moment, the reverend ran around the side of the house with a tow headed little boy on his hip. The boys screamed 'Tickle monster' and ran off.

The minister 'monster' was a bit out of breath but greeted his visitors warmly anyway. "Well Adam, word in town today was that you're getting married. Thought I would see you soon. I'll even take a break from my hard work here and talk to the two of you inside." With that, he set the little boy down and tickled him promising him and his brothers, who were watching from a safe distance, that there would be more later and asked them to please watch over each other for a few minutes. The three went inside and got more congratulations from the minister's wife. Then over glasses of cool lemonade, they discussed the tentative date that Adam and Toni had set. There were no problems so after a short but pleasant conversation, the couple left to go to the restaurant.

"With the reception we got in town today, I understand why you did not want me staying here before the wedding. Our every move would be front page news it seems. I had no idea it would be like this. In my hometown, things move much more slowly and quietly. This is so much more boisterous than any town I have visited. Surprising too how interested everyone is in what happens with your family."

"Pa is an important and wealthy man here, and the Ponderosa is the largest ranch in Nevada. Then there are the timber and mining businesses too which provide a lot of jobs so many people know him and look to him for leadership."

"Many people seem very interested in what happens in your life too. In the shops today, I got a bit of history on Adam Cartwright. It seems everyone here knows who you were with, for how long, and how serious it was. You told me about a couple and Hoss told me about three, but I never knew there were so many." Toni smiled because she could see how nervous Adam was getting especially because he didn't know exactly what she had been told.

"Most of the women were women I asked to events because I didn't want to go alone to dances and picnics and other social gatherings alone. Those that I had an interest in, at least initially, I have told you about. Some of the women thought that the relationship with me was a lot more serious than I thought it was or maybe they just hoped it would lead to marriage. But I'm still unmarried so you can see that none of what went before meant that much to me. I would just like to close the book on that, and look to our future." His eyes were dark and he was very somber as he talked so Toni knew how important this was to him.

"Adam, I didn't mean to belittle your feelings or past relationships. This is the last conversation we'll have about it. All that matters to me now is our future."

Smiling at each other in silent agreement then, they arrived at the restaurant. Adam asked for a table toward the back because he hoped that with less visibility from the street, they might have more privacy. There was, but not as much as he hoped as it seemed every patron of the restaurant that night had to come over to meet Toni and offer congratulations.

"Where are we going to live after we get married? I know the Ponderosa ranch house is large enough to accommodate us, but it is so far from my father, and he will be alone now except for the foreman and the housekeeper who are coming with him. They each have a family though so there will be too much time I think when he will be alone."

"I have been thinking that we should have our own house, but I anticipated how hard it would be for you to be away from your father especially now that your mother is gone. So, there is a pretty piece of property on the Ponderosa not too far from the lake and near the main road where we could build a house. It would be about a twenty-minute ride to your father's ranch house and just a little longer to the Ponderosa ranch house. It is also near the road so going to town would be fairly easy too. It would allow you and your father to see each other often."

"Adam that sounds like a wonderful plan."

"Very early this morning, I sketched out a design. I woke up early and started thinking about where we would live and knew you wouldn't want to be too far from your father. Later today or tomorrow, you could look at the plans to see what changes you would like."

At that point, their conversation was interrupted by Susan Taylor. "Oh Adam, I just had to congratulate you." Turning to Toni, "And I want to apologize to you, my dear Toni, for any hurt I may have caused. It is no excuse, but my broken heart just led me to say some awful things. I hope you can forgive me." Toni was gracious, but Adam was fuming. He knew that nothing that she said was sincere, and he wondered what she was doing for he knew that there was some plan being sprung but couldn't imagine what it was. He began to get an inkling of what she was after with her line of questioning that followed that rather benign beginning. "Now Toni is an unusual name."

"My father named me Antoinette. That was too difficult for my sisters to pronounce when they were young, and it was quickly shortened to Toni."

"Oh you have sisters. What are their names?"

"I have two older sisters, Teresa and Maria."

"Well they sound kind of Mexican, don't you think. Why didn't your parents give them nice American names?"

"My mother, Rosa Maria, was Mexican and my grandmother was from New Orleans. My sisters' names honor our Mexican heritage and my name honors my grandmother's family." By this time Toni was fuming too but holding her temper in check and she was managing to remain civil in her answers.

"Susan, Toni and I have some decisions to make about our future and were hoping to do that tonight. If you could excuse us please." Knowing he was being slightly rude, Adam rose, dropped money on the table, and took Toni by the elbow guiding her to the door. He didn't care about Susan's feelings because she had made it clear that she was going to be a problem for them and especially for Toni.

As Adam and Toni exited the restaurant, Susan smiled smugly. The information she had gathered had been correct. She muttered to herself but loudly enough that perhaps half a dozen patrons in the restaurant could hear her. "Behave yourselves now. You wouldn't want people to start talking about an unmarried woman living at the Ponderosa with four unmarried men now would you? Of course, being a Mexican, perhaps the same social rules of propriety don't apply." She was certain she could drive a wedge between Adam and that woman because after only two weeks, Toni didn't know him at all well yet. Susan thought it would be interesting when Toni saw that terrible temper he had and those black moods he could get in. Susan planned to make sure that both would be on display, and then when she had driven Toni away, Susan planned to be there to soothe Adam's broken heart when he was deserted again by the woman he had chanced to love.

Outside the restaurant, as Adam and Toni discussed what had happened, Toni had to forcefully hang on to Adam's arm to stop him from going back to Susan to express his displeasure. She wasn't sure what he would do but the look on his face made her afraid of what it might be.

"Toni, you don't know what she's capable of doing. She laid down the gauntlet in there. She's coming after you, and it's going to get ugly."

"Adam, I can stand up for myself, and we can withstand anything as long as we're together. You believe that, don't you? You need to have faith in us and in our love."

After a moment, Adam's expression softened. "For so long, I looked for someone to give me the love I so much wanted. Now I've found that by giving my love to you, I've gotten the love I wanted for so long. I never understood that before but I should have. To be loved, you have to love, and I love you. Yes, I have faith in our love. Let's go home. We'll talk about Susan, and I'll tell you what I know about her. She can't be trusted at all. I think there's something fundamentally wrong with her, and I'm afraid it's a lot like a friend I lost. On the way home, I'll tell you about Ross Marquette and the dark gate. I think Susan may be on the other side of that dark gate too or close to it."

Chapter 4

It was a busy week on the Ponderosa with Tony and Toni getting all the supplies to Tony's new ranch and Adam trying to finish timber and lumber contracts on the Ponderosa and get over to Tony's ranch to help out when he could. Hop Sing was readying guest rooms because both of Toni's sisters wanted to come to help in the preparations for the upcoming wedding of Adam and their baby sister. On Wednesday, Toni finally squeezed in some time to meet with Joe to select three suitable riding horses for her and her sisters. Joe recommended some very calm, small, and placid horses. Toni rejected his recommendations, and he made several similar ones until she got very irritated.

"Why can't I buy that big sorrel over there? He stands and looks around to see what is happening which is a sign of intelligence. He has a good chest so it looks like he has a lot of wind, and the legs are thicker than most so he looks like he would be very durable in a long ride or a fast gallop if I wanted that from him!"

"Toni, he's hard to handle. After he was green broke, it took us months to get him to settle down with a rider for any length of time. He always wants to go his own way, and it takes a firm hand to move him the way you want him to go. We didn't send him with the army contract because of that. With those traits, I don't think he is ever going to be a good horse for working cattle."

"Well that's an even better reason that you should sell him to me for a riding horse. I like him." Joe shrugged. He was beginning to see what Adam liked so much about Toni. They were a lot alike. This was just the type of high-spirited horse Adam would want, but Joe didn't want to sell her this horse. If she got hurt because of this horse, Adam would never forgive him. He was afraid to tell her that though.

"What are you thinking? I can see you're thinking pretty hard, and I would like to know what it is that has you so worried."

"Ahh, I don't think you would."

"Try me!"

Pausing while he thought about the opposing scenarios, Joe decided to tell her. "Adam would kill me if I sold this horse to you, and you got hurt." There he had said it, and he waited for the biting retort. But Toni only continued to lean on the corral fence and study the horse.

"Thank you for being so concerned for me, but you need to know that I have been working horses since I was twelve. This is exactly the type of horse I like. He reminds me of Sport. Adam knows I can ride because we rode all over this area for a full week. I'll tell him I picked this horse, and he'll know that it was not your decision. He should know me well enough by now to know that no one will tell me what kind of horse I am going to ride."

"All right then you can tell him, but you have to promise me to tell him the rest. You need to tell him what I told you about this horse. Don't ride him home either. Let Adam take a look at him first. You have to remember that decisions you make now affect two of you and not only you."

Toni pursed her lips as she thought about that. "Joe, I never thought of you as being so smart about marriage, but that was good advice. I will do it."

Openly relieved, Joe sighed audibly. "How about horses for your sisters now?"

"Both Teresa and Maria ride like I do but not as well. They should have strong mounts because they both enjoy a fast ride, but they should have horses better schooled to following their riders' commands. They shouldn't have horses quite so spirited as Tempest there."

Joe had to grin and then giggled a little. That was an appropriate name for that horse. He recommended two smaller but fast mares that had been easily trained. They were reasonably placid, but both were nimble and strong.

"Those are good choices too. I was thinking when I saw them that they might be good brood mares too, and with Tempest as a sire, we might get some very fine horses."

Joe was impressed. He loved working with the horses and had been thinking the exact same thing. He and Toni engaged in a spirited discussion of other breeding possibilities in the horses he had in the corral especially about which ones would be more suitable to sell to the army. It was only much later that Joe realized he had been talking with a woman about breeding horses and hoped his father and hers would not be upset. Oh, and then he remembered her fiancé, and he sincerely hoped Adam would not think he had stepped over the line with Toni. However he had enjoyed the conversation immensely and rather hoped they could do it again sometime. He realized he was really starting to like his new sister. When Joe got back to the stable, Hoss was getting back from rounding up cattle to move them from the lower ranges to an upper range. Joe told Hoss about Toni purchasing Tempest and about his horse breeding conversation with Toni.

"You're starting to like that gal. Good thing too. I kinda thought from the start that I was gonna like her, and I ain't seen nothing yet to change my mind. She sure loves Adam too, and I like the effect she has on him. He seems more at peace with himself when she's around."

"Well except when they got back from town on Monday. Boy, he was steaming mad and that was hours after they got bit by the rattlesnake Susan. He seemed better by the next morning, but I wonder what Toni said to him to get him settled down."

"She said a jealous spinster was no concern of ours." Adam strolled into the stable.

Joe jumped and nearly spilled the grain bucket he was bringing to Hoss to feed Chubb. "Geez, Adam, do you always have to sneak up on somebody like that. I swear you must be part Paiute the way you can sneak up on a man."

"Ah, maybe just part Indian. You know those Stoddards were in New England a long time, and there weren't always enough white women for wives so a lot of 'praying Indian' women became married to white men. Most families just kind of forgot to pass on that information to succeeding generations so who knows? I am kind of dark for having supposedly only English ancestry. Now, Joe, how did the horse selling go with Toni?"

"Ahh, it went fine, older brother, and I'm sure Toni is excited and waiting to tell you all about it. I'd hate to spoil her surprise by telling you what she would want to tell you. Well I gotta get going to town to mail off the info on the horses to the army, so I'll see you later." With that, Joe led Cochise out of the barn and headed to town. When Joe finished sending his letter, he headed to the Silver Dollar for a cold beer before heading home. As he leaned on the bar talking to Sam, a lean cowboy about his height came and stood at his elbow.

"Ah mister, those fellows over there said you was the Cartwright who worked the horses on the Ponderosa, and I was wondering if you had any need for a horse wrangler? I got lots of experience working horses, and I need a job."

Turning to him, Joe looked him up and down. He did have the look of a horsebreaker. He was small and lean. "Where did you work?"

"I've worked a bunch of ranches in California. Most recently I did some horsebreaking in Stockton, and before that I worked at a rancho further south. He's selling though so I struck out on my own."

"Well yeah with the drive coming up, we are going to be shorthanded for a bit. I can give you a try over the next few days. If it works out and if you're willing to work the string of horses on the drive, I can hire you now to work with me and get to know the traits of each of the horses that will be making the trip. What's your name."

"Bill Roberts. And thank you so much for the job. When do you want me to report?"

"Well if you can get your gear together, you can ride out with me as soon as I finish my beer, and I'll show you around and introduce you to the other men before dinner." Joe was impressed that the man was more interested in working than in how much money he would be paid. Typically hands like that tended to stay around longer instead of being lured to the latest gold or silver strike. He hoped the man was as good as he claimed to be and would stick around.

Bill smiled with what he hoped looked like a smile of gratitude, but he was really feeling rather smug about the whole thing. It had been rather easy to get a job on the Ponderosa. Now he only needed to come up with a plan to get rid of that Adam Cartwright so he could have Toni. There was no way that any man was going to have her. He had set his sights on her while working for her father. She may have rejected his advances so far, but he was going to get her no matter what it took, and no man no matter how rich was going to get in his way. He'd find a way to get rid of this interloper and then he'd find a way to get Toni for himself. She would know how much he cared by how hard he had worked to find her and get close to her. He guessed that would have to impress her, and if it didn't, it wouldn't matter that much. She wasn't going to say no to him again. No woman was ever going to say no to him as far as he was concerned.

When the two men walked outside, Bill did prove his acumen with horses. He did a quick appraisal of Cochise correctly assuming that he had been acquired from a Native American tribe. He noted the legs and musculature. "He must be fast. My guess is that he likes to jump things too with the way he's built. He probably has a sweet disposition though and doesn't fight your commands. He's a perfect ranch horse. You could probably use a hundred more like him."

Not only was Bill accurate in his assessment of Cochise's physical attributes, but his praise of the horse got him high marks from Joe who would be willing to take his side in any dispute now until there was solid evidence that he had done something wrong. Bill had an ally, and he couldn't have chosen a better one to get close to the Cartwrights and give him a chance to get rid of Adam. After checking around in town, Bill had learned of the best way to get hired on the Ponderosa. In the process, he had learned of the tension that sometimes existed between the oldest and youngest of the Cartwright brothers and thought he might find it useful. He had also found out about Susan Taylor and what she had been doing. He wasn't sure yet how that might help him in his plan, but anyone who was angry at Adam could be another ally so he learned as much about her as he could too before he got the opportunity to approach Joe at the saloon. He had made his few days in town very useful gathering a wealth of information he thought he could use.

Chapter 5

Thursday morning started as a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly and the sky dotted with white fluffy clouds. The light breeze from the mountains and the moderate temperatures were a relief from the recent hot weather. For Adam, the day got even better when Toni walked into the stable as he was saddling Sport. At least it was until he saw how she looked. She was frowning and her whole demeanor sent out warning signs of trouble.

"Is anything wrong?"

"Adam, Papa got a telegram from home. A man who worked for us quit when he heard the news that we were moving here, and that he wouldn't have a job here with us. His name is Bill Roberts, and he wanted to court me. He is the only man I ever turned away. The others all left on their own, but Bill made me so uneasy. He tried to be too familiar with me before we really knew anything about each other. He used to stare at me all the time too, and it seemed that whenever I turned around, he was there. It made me uncomfortable, and I would never be alone with him anywhere on the rancho."

"Did you ever tell your father?"

"Not specifically anything because there was truly nothing to tell, but I did tell him that I didn't like him. He was surprised, I guess, because he liked Bill as a worker there.

"Toni, why are you worried? Do you think he will show up here to bother you?"

"I don't know what he will do, but yes, I do think he might do that. He is a very strange man. If the people at home sent Papa a telegram though they must have some reason that they think they should warn us so they must think so too."

"You should be safe here, and the men your father hired are quite capable of helping you at your father's ranch. To be safe, do you think you should think about not riding alone for now?"

Toni appreciated that Adam phrased that as a suggestion instead of an order. "I was hoping to ride Tempest today. Our order for saddles and tack should be delivered today, and I wanted to put him through his paces and maybe give him a bit of a run too."

"If you can wait until I get back from the sawmill, I'll be very happy to ride with you. I'll ride one of the mares so that Sport doesn't get Tempest riled up. It may take a while for those two to get used to each other." Toni agreed, and Adam kissed her before leading Sport outside. Then with a tip of his hat and a promise to see her soon, he mounted up and rode off to the sawmill.

Toni started to walk to the house when Joe and another man rounded the corner of the barn. Joe smiled and tipped his hat and continued into the stable. The other man gave her a predatory grin and tipped his hat before following Joe into the stable. Toni stood in shock wondering how he could already be here where she had felt so safe only moments earlier. She wondered too why no one had thought to tell her that Bill Roberts worked on the Ponderosa now when he had worked for her father previously. She walked swiftly to the house because she needed to talk with her father or Adam and soon, but her father was at his ranch for the day and Adam wouldn't be back for hours. She wondered who could give her a ride to her father's ranch. As she entered, Hoss was just getting his hat and gun belt.

"Hoss, can you give me a ride to my father's ranch?"

"Well I was planning on going to the south pasture anyways, so ifn ya don't mind riding one of the horses, I can ride with you there." Toni agreed quickly and went to change into her riding skirt. She had planned to spend the morning sewing curtains, but this was more important. As they rode, Toni decided to probe a little to see what Hoss knew.

"Hoss, I saw a man with Joe today that I never saw on the Ponderosa before, and I thought I had met all of the men who live in the bunkhouse"

"Ahh now, that musta been the man that Joe hired yesterday to help with the horses. They got back just before dinner so Joe said he brought him right to the bunkhouse. Joe said he seems to know his way around horses pretty well. Said he worked ranches in California and has got himself a whole bunch of experience. I didn't meet him yet cause I got back just in time for dinner yesterday myself."

Toni was somewhat relieved at that news. She and Adam had been busy looking over plans for their house in the late afternoon yesterday so Adam was unaware too of Joe's new hire. She smiled when she remembered that Ben had reminded them to leave the bedroom door open when they were in his room. Although Ben had a slight smile on his face when he said it, Adam had been a little irritated to have him say that. Sometimes he didn't take teasing very well. It was as if he suspected it wasn't really teasing. He took his integrity very seriously, and she knew she needed to keep that in mind. Hoss looked over to see her smiling and asked why so she had to tell him the story. He guffawed like only Hoss could, and that made Toni laugh. She was really getting to like Adam's brothers. Never having had brothers, it was a revelation to see what it was like. She decided then to confide in Hoss about Bill Roberts.

"Hoss that man is Bill Roberts and he used to work for my father. I'm afraid he has followed me here, and it has me very worried. Papa got a telegram about him this morning warning that he might do something like this. I don't know what he is up to, and that scares me."

"Aw sis, did you talk to Adam?"

"No, not about Bill being here. I told him about the telegram and about Bill, and that Bill scares me, but that was before I knew he was working on the ranch. I saw him just after Adam left. The look he gave me makes me believe that he is looking to create some trouble. I just don't know what it is. He apparently didn't tell Joe that he had worked for my father recently. That alone should tell you that he is up to something. He didn't want Joe to ask any questions."

"Well I'm thinking you oughta tell your father as well as Adam and Pa everything. I'm sure they'll for sure take care of things."

After talking with her father after arriving at his ranch, they agreed that Hoss' suggestion was the best course of action. Toni stayed at the ranch and helped clean the house and prepared lunch for the men who had started working there. The house and the bunkhouse were the first order of business so that kept them busy the rest of the day. When they arrived back at the Ponderosa, Ben and Adam were there. Adam had been concerned when he arrived home and Toni was gone. Luckily Hop Sing had been able to tell him that she left with Hoss. She apologized for not leaving a note, but once she informed him and Ben of this new development, that was forgotten. Adam was furious and wanted to confront the man immediately.

Ben took charge though. "Adam, you are too angry right now to do that. I don't want you doing anything foolish because of your temper. Although I fully understand why you're angry, I would think that Joe is going to be upset by this too, and I don't want the two of you to get into a fight as well. Tony and I will go see this Bill Roberts." Tony nodded and the two of them strode purposefully out of the house, got on Tony's buckboard, and headed to the horse corrals where Joe, Bill, and a few others were working all day.

When they arrived at the horse corrals, Bill was riding one of the mustangs they had recently captured. He was giving the horse a good ride too, and Ben was impressed. He had not fooled them with his credentials as a horsebreaker. He rode the horse to a standstill, and it was clear that the horse had submitted. After waiting to be sure the horse had quit fighting, he pressed his knees into the horse's sides to move it forward. When they got next to the corral fence, he dismounted and handed the reins to one of the other wranglers. Joe congratulated him on his good ride, and congratulated himself on making this hire. As Ben and Tony walked over to the corral, Bill grinned and walked toward them.

"Well Mr. Martin, I sure am glad to see you."

"Bill, I must say I am very surprised to see you here."

"Well, I guess I am a little embarrassed, sir, to say I was upset that you were moving here and that I wouldn't have a job. When I found out, I just up and quit. Then I realized I needed a job so I headed here. I knew there were some fine horse ranches in Nevada, and I must admit I wanted to make sure Miss Toni was okay too. I am real fond of your daughter and wanted to be sure she was happy. When I heard she was getting married, I knew I didn't have to worry cause she was gonna have a good man to take care of her."

Both Ben and Tony were relieved at the young man's explanation and told him so. Both congratulated him on the success of his last ride, and then left. Bill was feeling even more smug with how well that had gone. He would be here to see what was going on, and he had an ally in Joe who was impressed by his work so it would be hard for Adam to get rid of him. Ben too had seen his work and wouldn't be able to fault him on that. He needed to start making a plan so that Adam Cartwright would not be here on his wedding day. According to what had been said in town where everyone seemed to be talking about it, he had six weeks. He planned on doing something a lot sooner than that.

When Tony and Ben returned to the ranch house, Adam and Toni were unhappy with their evaluation of the situation. Toni realized part of the problem was that she had never mentioned how worried Bill made her in the past, but his following her here made her feel vulnerable. Adam didn't want Bill on the Ponderosa, but Ben was unwilling to overrule Joe on his hire.

"Adam, we're short of hands, and I saw him work. He's very good. If he stays away from Toni, we'll have to let this up to Joe. I know you aren't happy with that, but we have to be fair. The man had a perfectly reasonable explanation, and he was quite sincere. If he steps over the line even once, I'll back you and he'll be gone. Is that fair?"

"No, it isn't. Toni is part of this family now, and if she feels threatened by this man being here, then he shouldn't be here."

"He won't get anywhere near Toni. If he does anything resembling what she described, as I said, then he will be let go. We'll all be watching him, and I'll alert some of the trusted hands to do the same although from the way he talked, he seemed very happy for her."

"Yes, Mister Cartwright, he'll always say the right thing and smile the right way. It's not that. You would have to be a woman, I guess, to understand why he frightens me."

"Toni, we'll protect you here."

"Yes, sir, I'm sure you'll try."

Ben didn't miss the formal tone she had adopted with him. She and Adam turned and walked out to the porch no doubt to talk privately about what had happened. He didn't miss the look of disapproval he got from Adam either. Ben looked to Tony who shrugged but didn't respond until the door was closed.

"She's a headstrong girl, Ben, but she's also very smart. I'm beginning to worry that she may be right about this Bill. He may be fooling all of us. Her suspicions may be more close to the truth than we care to think. After all, my people sent that telegram because they were worried, and Adam is a very intelligent man, and he worries very much after hearing her concerns."

"I guess I ought to talk with Joe to see if I can convince him to let the man go. I doubt that will work though, but perhaps we can find a way to get him away from the ranch house and away from any contact with Toni."

"That at least would help."

However Ben was not looking forward to that discussion with Joe knowing how it was likely to go. Joe was proud of his new hire and happy with how well they were working together already. He was going to resent any suggestion to let him go and that it came from Adam or even Adam's fiancé was going to make it sting even more.

Chapter 6

As Ben expected when he talked to Joe when he returned to the stable late that day, Joe resisted all arguments to let Bill go. He did concede that if the man made Toni that uncomfortable, he could keep him away from the main house fairly easily. However, unless Bill did something out of line, he wasn't going to fire him. Adam wasn't ready to accept that either so he went to talk with Joe.

"Joe, I want Bill Roberts fired!"

"Adam, I'm not going to fire a man just because you don't like him! The horses are my responsibility. Bill Roberts can do his job and he hasn't done anything here to bother you nor Toni. I don't know what the big deal is. He explained everything to Tony and Pa, and they're fine with it."

"Toni is not fine with it so neither am I. Her father does not know everything about the situation or he would not be fine with it either."

"Well why don't you enlighten me, oldest brother, about how you're so jealous you can't even give the man a chance."

"What is the matter with you two? I could hear this ruckus from the house. This is no way for brothers to be acting. Now I can guess what this is about, but you two are men and ought to discuss this and not yell about it." Ben had returned to the stable after hearing his sons arguing.

Both Adam and Joe were furious, and neither wanted to talk to their father at that point, but knew they had to discuss it. Finally Adam spit out his objection to Bill Roberts working on the Ponderosa and why he didn't like it. He gave a general version of the concerns that Toni had. Ben was aware of those, but Joe hadn't heard those before that moment. However Joe gave an equally emotional defense of the man and reminded Ben that he had accepted the man's word that afternoon, and then Joe added in a logical argument that was difficult to refute.

"Adam if you're worried about what Bill's intentions are regarding Toni, wouldn't it be better to have him here where you can see what's going on than to have him on his own?"

Grudgingly, Adam had to admit there was some truth to that. "But he better not go anywhere near Toni or he will have to deal with me, and I don't care how anyone feels about that." With that, Adam stalked out of the stable, grabbed Sport's reins, mounted up, and rode out.

"All right, that didn't go as well as I had hoped."

Joe snickered a little at his father's comment. "Pa, it's not fair to fire Bill just because Adam wants me to. Innocent until proven guilty is supposed to be important to older brother, isn't it? Maybe his principles don't matter when he's jealous."

"Joe, it's not jealousy. Adam is deeply in love with Toni already even though they haven't known each other that long. You have to remember that when someone loves deeply, the thought of any harm coming to the one you love is one of the most frightening thoughts of all. You know that he would do anything to protect those he loves. Now, keep an eye on Bill. I don't want him going anywhere by himself. That explanation he gave was very reasonable, but it could easily have been a well prepared response if he is here to do harm." Joe gave a questioning look at his father. "I have no reason to suspect him of anything at this time, but it pays to be careful. Toni is a smart woman. I'm thinking that we would do well to heed her warnings about Bill." With that, Ben walked to the house to finish some paperwork. He wished Adam had stayed to help, but in the mood his oldest son was in, he guessed he wouldn't have been much help anyway.

Because Bill suspected that he would be the subject of some controversy, he had secreted himself in the loft of the stable and had overheard the conversations in the stable. When he heard those last comments from Ben, he realized he needed to finish formulating a plan and to carry it out soon before Adam was able to get him fired or before Ben let him go. For the next couple of days, he knew what he had to do. He was going to be the model employee and do everything he was told and do it well. He planned to steer clear of Adam and Toni so as not to create any kind of suspicion. Within a few days, they would all start to let their guard down, and by then, he hoped to be able to strike at the man he hated for getting between him and Toni. With his hatred growing daily, he didn't just want to get rid of him, he wanted him to suffer too.

Many miles away, Adam pulled Sport to a halt. He had pushed the animal pretty hard and even though Sport loved to run, they both needed to catch their breath. Adam didn't trust Bill at all. He had little contact with the man, but the way the man looked at him with malevolent glares when no one was watching was unsettling. He knew Toni was correct that the man was strange, and that he intended harm, but to whom and when he would strike were questions without answers at this point. On Saturday, Tony was planning to leave to return to his California ranch to make preparations for the move to Nevada. Then Adam would be the only one to protect Toni from whatever Bill was planning. They needed to talk about how they would arrange that. For the next day, Toni would be with her father all day, and Adam and Toni would be spending Saturday and Sunday together so they had until Monday to make a plan for how to handle how to protect her when he couldn't be with her. By where he was, he could see the ranch buildings that Tony, Toni, and their hired men were working on so he began to smile and kicked Sport into a gallop again. When Adam arrived, he pulled up next to the house where Toni was apparently preparing to put in a garden. She was so intent on her work, she didn't realize he was behind her until he slid his arms around her waist. She yelped and started to struggle until she realized who held her. Then she only squirmed around in his grasp, and when she faced him, he realized that she was a little perturbed. He had to apologize because the last person he wanted to offend was her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. You just looked so cute standing there with your shovel and I just wanted to hold you."

"It's all right. It's just with Bill around, I guess I'm a little on edge, and you startled me. Now that you're here though, everything is fine and dandy." She stepped up on her toes and planted a gentle kiss on Adam's lips. "You're forgiven."

"Are you ready to go. I thought I could escort you back to the Ponderosa, and we could stop at the site I told you would be a good spot for our house to see if you agree."

"That sounds wonderful. Let me put my tools away, and I'll get Tempest saddled up."

"Are you sure that you want to ride him now? I've got Sport, and I don't know how the two stallions are going to be."

"It's going to be all right, I think. I rode Tempest around the buildings here, and he handled a lot better than I thought he would based on Joe's description. I tried to be very calm when I was on him, and he settled down right away. I think those who rode him before were a little intimidated by him, and he took advantage of that."

After Adam helped Toni store her tools, they worked together to saddle up Tempest, and then they rode to the prospective building site. The lake was in the distance, and the mountains and trees framed the view very well. There was a flat section of land suitable for building, and then the land sloped gently down to the lake, which was miles away. It wasn't the site that Adam originally hoped to use to build a home, but it was a great choice considering Toni's need to be close to her father. Toni looked at Adam, and he could see her eyes glistening. He wrapped his arms around her to draw her close to comfort her.

"What's wrong? If you don't like this spot, we can find another."

"No it's perfect. I love it here. I can't imagine how it will be to live here with you, and see this view every day of my life."

"Well perhaps not everyday. We do need to think about a honeymoon. How about a trip to San Francisco? I can start making arrangements now if you think you would like that. It will take some months to build the house too. The men working for your father seem to be an efficient crew. I was thinking we could hire them to build the house when they are done at your father's ranch."

"Yes, I would love to spend some time in San Francisco, and building the house here would be like a dream come true. It's all so perfect! I can't think of anything that would make it better." But then she thought about Bill Roberts and the smile faded.

Seeing her demeanor change so suddenly, Adam knew what she was thinking. He decided to explain what he had gotten his father to concede. "Pa said he'd keep a close eye on Bill. If he even comes close to doing anything wrong, he'll be let go. Meanwhile, Pa will make sure someone is watching him at all times.

Adam smiled and drew Toni into his arms. Their worries about Bill were gone as they held each other and kissed.

"We better get going now so Hop Sing doesn't quit and go back to China. He hates it when anyone makes dinner late."

"Well I can cook."

"Oh I know that. I loved that stew you made the first night I really started to know you. But Hoss will never forgive me if Hop Sing quits so we really do need to get going."

Laughing, Toni turned to mount up on Tempest. He and Sport already seemed comfortable with each other. As they rode back to the ranch, Adam told Toni everything he knew about what had happened concerning Bill. She was uneasy and Tempest starting acting up until she realized she was communicating her unease to the horse and relaxed once again in the saddle. She and Adam agreed that they would talk later about what they were going to do, but for the time being, they just enjoyed the ride with each other.

At the main house though, Ben got some unsettling news. His most trusted hand came up to him with a worried look. "Boss, you know how you said we oughta keep a look out for that new man, Bill Roberts. Well late this afternoon, nobody seen him. I kinda looked around for him and couldn't find hide nor hair of him. After Adam left and you and Joe went in the house, all of a sudden, there he was. Ifn I was a bettin' man, I'd be thinkin' he'd been wherever you was and listening in."

Chapter 7

That night, Ben was worried but didn't know what to do. He suspected that now that Bill was what Toni and Adam thought he was. It wasn't what they said only. It was that things weren't adding up correctly. He had that gut feeling that something wasn't right, and he knew that Hoss always said to go with your gut feelings in situations like this. However, Joe wasn't going to accept his gut feeling any more than he was going to accept Adam's protective feelings about Toni. They needed something more obvious. He was determined to keep a close watch on Bill. He didn't want to worry Adam and Toni any more than they already were, but he did confide in Hoss telling him not only to watch Bill but to keep a close eye on Adam.

"We're so sure that Bill is a threat to Toni, but I have a suspicion that he may be a threat to Adam too. Keep a close watch on your brother. It might be a very good idea for the two of you to work together while Bill is still here."

"Pa, you got that bad a feeling about him?"

"I didn't at first. He's charming and does everything you ask without complaining. But, it's too good. A man who's lost the woman he wanted, the home he had with the job he had for years suddenly forced to seek new employment, and he's in such good spirits and holds no grudges at all."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. The man's a saint, or he's putting on a real good show for us. I'll keep a watch on him, Pa. And I'll keep a watch out for Adam too. You know I will." Until Bill did something more, there was nothing else that either of them could do.

On Saturday morning, everyone was up early because Tony was leaving for his ranch in California. Adam and Toni were going to escort him into town and wait with him until the stage left. Ben wanted to talk with his old friend before he left so the four of them were having an early breakfast when Hoss came down the stairs hoping they had left some bacon for him. Right behind him, to everyone's surprise, was Joe.

"Well I am surprised to see you boys up so early on a Saturday."

"Dadburnit, Pa, we got a lot to get done today with the roundup for the drive starting on Monday, and I could smell that bacon cooking too."

Smiling at his large middle son, Ben couldn't resist teasing a little. "And the dance tonight had nothing to do with you getting up so early."

"Now that you mention it Pa, I think that did make it a mite easier to convince Joe we oughta get up and at our work early today so we had a good chance to clean up and then pick up our ladies on time."

"Yeah, and we probably have to do Adam's chores too since he's taking Toni and her father to town today."

"You don't have to worry about that. I was up over an hour ago, and my chores are all done."

"Ifn ya would like, you could help us with ours then."

Hoss slapped Adam on the shoulder as he passed him at the table and took his seat. Adam could only grin at Hoss because nothing could spoil his mood at this moment not with Toni sitting at his side. Hoss looked at Toni and winked.

"So is this how it's gonna be with you Adam when you're married. Do your work, no complaining, and smiling all the time. Heck, it's like you're a new man."

Hoss guffawed at his own remark, Joe giggled, and everyone at the table was all smiles. Ben was particularly happy. He had not seen this carefree side of Adam in a long time. All the heartaches and sorrows in his life had made him build up some walls, but Toni seemed to be helping him knock them down. It was good to see him smiling so much and so at ease with his family.

After breakfast, Adam went to get the carriage ready. He and Toni were each taking a bag into town to change before the dance. Dr. Paul had graciously offered to let them keep the bags at his home so that they could change there after completing the various errands they had in town. They planned to treat Paul to dinner at the International House restaurant before they went to the dance. It was the first dance they would attend together, and Toni was nervous and excited too. She had taken dance lessons at her mother's insistence but had no idea if Adam knew how to dance. She thought he probably did, but she had never danced with a man other than her father so she wasn't feeling too sure of herself in this new situation. Adam wasn't even thinking about that because his concern was Susan. He knew she never missed a social occasion in Virginia City, and at every previous dance, she had maneuvered to get at least one dance with him in which he usually had to fend off her trying to be too personal with him. With Toni on his arm, he hoped that Susan would keep her distance, but knowing her, he was afraid that wouldn't be true. Because they left the ranch earlier than they had expected, on the way to Virginia City, Adam stopped briefly at the site where he hoped to build a home for the Toni and himself. He hoped that Tony would like where it would be situated.

"This is a beautiful spot. And it's not too far from my ranch either. Far enough away to have your privacy and your independence and not too far for me to visit and for you to visit easily too. You two are going to be very happy here. And my grandchildren will be able to visit me often too."

"You're starting to sound a lot like my Pa now. That was the exact thing he said after congratulating us on our engagement and our decision to live here on the Ponderosa."

"I remember. I was thinking that he said what I was thinking."

All three laughed, and climbed back into the carriage. Later, after waiting an hour with Tony at the stage depot, Toni tearfully waved goodbye as the stage drove off down the street.

"What's wrong? You're crying. He will be back in just over a month, and your sisters are scheduled to arrive in less than two weeks. You said one sister might be here much sooner if she can make arrangements. I'll be here for you until then."

"Oh, I guess it is just silly, but this is the first time in my life that I am staying anywhere without at least one of my parents with me. I will miss Papa, but I am missing Mama now too."

Adam, who had spent so much of his life without a parent present didn't know what to say. He was astounded by her statement, and had never imagined that at age twenty-six, Toni had always been with at least one parent. It made him remember all the sadness and loneliness of his childhood and how difficult it had been to be away from home when he attended college. He had learned to live with it but remembered how it had hurt. Toni looked at his sad expression and knew he was troubled by something.

"Does this remind you of something?"

"Nothing in particular. It reminds me of how I grew up. I think I spend more time without a parent present than I did with one there." Then it was Toni's chance to be astounded. Adam did a brief account of his life then and how often he had been alone without a parent's support and guidance.

"It made you independent and strong. Now you have me, you still have your father and brothers, and soon you will have two sisters-in-law and their husbands and two nephews and a father-in-law. You won't be alone again. And then of course there are the children to consider. To make our fathers happy, there will need to be a bunch of them!" Adam smiled at her.

"And how many do you think we should have?"

"Four is a good number. Two boys and two girls. I have found that I like having brothers."

"Sweetheart, you might find you can change your mind on that. Give them time. You haven't known them long enough yet to be so sure of that. In six weeks we can start working on children, but now we have some errands to run, and then dinner and the dance. I have my to-do list. Should we meet for lunch about noon, and then we can finish whatever is left of our errands in the afternoon?"

The day went well. Adam spent the longest time at the jewelry store. Then when he saw Toni leave the dressmaker's shop, he headed there. Mrs. Taylor was working and smiled when she got Adam's order. She believed Toni was going to be delighted when Adam gave her the gifts he was planning. So that Toni would not know where he was, Mrs. Taylor had him slip out the back door. He made his way through the alley and headed to the restaurant where they had agreed to have lunch. That was followed by more errands that they did together, a trip to Dr. Paul's house to change, dinner, and finally about eight, they arrived at the dance. Just before entering, Adam asked Toni to wait a moment and handed her a long thin box wrapped in a green ribbon.

"What is it?"

"Open it and see."

Opening the box, Toni found a gold necklace with an emerald pendant. It was a classic cut emerald set within a square of small diamonds. She gasped and looked at Adam.

"That's why I asked if you had a green dress to wear. I saw this in the jewelry shop last week and had it set aside. May I help you put it on?" With her hands trembling, Toni handed it to him and turned around. Adam slid the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp. Toni turned back to him then, and he ran his finger along the chain on her neck down to the pendant.

"If you do more than that, we are never going to get to the dance!" Toni's face was flushed, but Adam only smiled, took her arm in his elbow, and walked her into the dance. Inside neither was happy to see that both Bill Roberts and Susan Taylor were in attendance.

"Maybe we should introduce them to each other."

"You have a wicked mean streak in you woman. But right now there's a waltz, and I would sincerely appreciate if you would give me the honor of this dance."

With confidence, Adam led Toni to the dance floor, and she prepared to dance with him as she had learned in class, but Adam pulled her to him and moved along the floor gracefully with her in his arms. Toni relaxed into his lead, and the two glided around the dance floor as one. Neither of them saw any of the looks thrown their way by jealous former girlfriends nor by Bill Roberts. Susan however did note the looks that Bill gave the couple and wondered what was up with him, but she was focused too on Adam and her jealousy continued to grow.

After the dance, Susan approached Adam as he went to get punch for Toni who was happily chatting with Hoss, Joe, and their ladies. Susan slid her arm over Adam's shoulder and suggested he ought to dance with her for old time's sake.

"Remove your arm from my shoulder or I will remove it from yours." The animosity of the statement shocked Susan.

Hurriedly removing her arm from his shoulder, "I can't believe you said that to me."

"You have hurt the woman I love and will marry. I have told you before that I never want to see you again. Now if you will excuse me, I have to bring this to Toni." Adam stalked away and Joe and Hoss were well aware of the source of his anger. Toni had been talking with her back to the scene they had witnessed so was unaware of what had transpired. Bill was passing the group and smoothly said hello to all about the time Adam arrived back in the group.

"Bill there's an unescorted lady by the table there. I think she had her eye on you earlier so perhaps you would like to go ask her to dance."

As Bill thanked him and walked toward Susan, Hoss shook his head. "Adam, that is darn cruel of you."

As Adam smirked at Hoss, Toni was having a hard time not laughing our loud. Joe was busy with his date and didn't realize what had happened. After a moment, Toni and Adam walked outside, and the group could hear the couple laughing hysterically once they cleared the doorway and wondered what was so funny.

Bill did approach Susan and asked her to dance. Intrigued with the handsome, confident man, she looked forward to the opportunity to chat with him and dance instead of standing so obviously unescorted at the dance. She noticed that as they danced, his eyes kept going to the door.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"I'm so sorry, Susan. I am neglecting you after you so graciously accepted my invitation to dance. No, I love someone, but now she is with another, and it has broken my heart."

With a sudden insight into Bill's thoughts exactly as he wished her to have, Susan blurted out her revelation. "You love Toni! Ohhh, Bill, I love Adam, and I have loved him for so long! This could be the start of a wonderful partnership! You and I could work together to regain our true loves from those who stole them away from us."

Bill smiled. He could get more information now with a willing accomplice to boot. He spent the night dancing with Susan and invited her to have a picnic with him on Sunday afternoon. He was a handsome man, and Susan reveled in his attention. Those who saw them together assumed that Susan had found a new beau and that Bill was very interested in Susan. No one had any idea that a criminal conspiracy was born.

When they arrived back at the ranch, all were in good spirits. Hoss hung back as everyone said their goodnights and headed up the stairs. Ben guessed that Hoss had a report to make.

"Pa, I don't think we need to worry that much about Bill or Susan that much any more. The two of 'em hooked up at the dance and seemed to be having a great time. Last I seen of 'em, they was still dancing and a talkin' away when we left."

"Susan Taylor and Bill Roberts were together at the dance?"

"Yeah, Pa, it seems Toni said it as a joke kind of thing to Adam, but when Susan said something to Adam that he didn't like, he told Bill that Susan might be interested in him. Seems that might have been the case too cause they seemed to hit it off right away like they was right for each other like two peas in a pod."

"Or a blasting cap and dynamite."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Hoss. I was letting my imagination run amok. Go on up to get some sleep. I'll lock up and be up soon." Ben's thoughts ran both ways for a while as he was at one point hopeful that Bill and Susan might actually like each other enough to let go of their obsessions but on the other hand fearful that two people who were somewhat unhinged had gotten together and no one could know what they might do. His sleep was restless as a result.

Chapter 8

The following week, Toni and Adam settled into a routine. If she wanted to work at her father's ranch, Adam rode over with her in the morning. If she planned on sewing, she stayed at the Ponderosa ranch house usually with Ben there and always with Hop Sing. Bill spent some time with Susan and everyone seemed to be hoping that they would become more involved with each other and forget about interfering in any of the plans that Adam and Toni had for the future. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Bill was hoping everyone would do. He worked hard, followed orders without complaint, and went to see Susan whenever he had time. He learned a lot about Adam's habits and personality from Susan as she couldn't seem to stop talking about him when they were together. With a plan in mind, Bill kept some shackles and extra rope in his saddlebags waiting for an opportunity to put his plan into action. He hadn't worked out all the final details yet but he envisioned a rather gruesome and painful demise for his nemesis. He wanted him to suffer for alienating Toni from him because in his mind that is the conclusion that he had drawn: he believed that she would be his except Adam had turned her against him. The plan was that Adam would die gruesomely and painfully, but afterwards, it could be made to look like a horrible accident. Then Bill believed he would be able to console her at some point drawing on what he perceived to be their long-term friendship. He was deluded.

On the Saturday a week after the dance, Adam and Toni went to town and returned with stacks of boxes that were the result of the previous Saturday's excursion into town. Toni was intrigued by the boxes Adam had carried out of the dressmaker's shop because she could not imagine what he had gotten there. She had ordered a number of riding outfits and dresses more suited to the temperatures of the High Sierras and the hills of the Ponderosa. Her clothing from home was fine on the hot days, but on cooler days, she found herself chilled. She also had gotten rolls of fabric to begin making bedding for her father's ranch and hoped to start a quilt that she and Adam could use when they were married. Both had been very busy all week: she had been sewing, putting in a vegetable and flower garden at her father's ranch, and sharing recipes in the kitchen with Hop Sing. She wanted to learn how to make Adam's favorite dishes and was sharing some of her mother's favorite recipes with Hop Sing. However tired she was, she was never too tired to be intrigued by a mystery.

"When are you going to tell me what is in those boxes that you and Mrs. Taylor were whispering about?"

"Your birthday is next week. You'll just have to wait until then." With a smile, Adam carried the boxes up the stairs. "I'll put these away in a safe place, and then I have some work to do on the house plans. I can't get anything done if you're standing next to me so you'll have to excuse me for a while." Toni grinned at him then. "So do you have enough to do for the afternoon while I draw?"

"Why, yes, in fact I do. Hoss and I are going fishing."

Coming to a dead stop on the landing, Adam raised his eyebrows at that and shrugged his shoulders before proceeding the rest of the way up the stairs. At least she would have a guardian who he would trust with his own life. Why she was going fishing would be explained whenever she was ready to explain. At least he could work without worrying about her.

Toni went in search of Hoss and found him in back of the house digging for worms. He had a small bean can with dirt in it and was searching for worms without luck. Suggesting it was too dry where he was digging, Toni thought that they ought to look where the soil was damp. Hoss walked behind the smokehouse then and dug in the area that was perpetually shaded there. Soon they had enough juicy worms that he was sure they would catch some fish so they grabbed some poles and headed to the river. A few hours later they returned after a successful sojourn. They had caught a nice stringer of fish, and Hoss had gotten a good nap too. They cleaned the fish, buried the skin and such in the garden along a row of beans and corn fertilizing them, and then brought the fish into the kitchen. Toni and Hop Sing started chatting about dinner so Hoss headed into the great room. Soon some delicious aromas started wafting into the main house. Hoss began to look forward to dinner which of course he always did but this was special because he and Toni had caught the fish they would be eating.

Later they all gathered at the table and found large soup bowls on their plates. Then Toni came in carrying a large bowl of rice and Hop Sing followed with a large soup kettle and ladle. Toni handed the bowl of rice to Ben and said he should put a scoop in his bowl. Then she asked him to pass the bowl of rice around the table. Hop Sing dished up a large ladle of food from the kettle over the rice. After of them were served, the four Cartwrights just looked at the concoction in front of them.

Joe was the first to say anything. "What is this?"

"Joe, this is a New Orleans recipe my grandmother taught to my mother. We had to make some adjustments to use the ingredients we have here but I think you will like it. Let's call it 'fish creole'. Hop Sing has sampled it and likes it. I hope all of you do too."

Hearing that it was a New Orleans recipe, Joe dug into his assuming that he would love it for that reason. Adam, Ben, and Hoss were a little slower to sample it. But Hoss started eating with enthusiasm after his first taste of it. After Ben and Adam tasted it, they smiled at Toni too. It was delicious. Watching Hoss devour his, Adam shook his head as he asked a simple question.

"Hoss, do you even taste what you eat?"

"Adam, my stomach is demanding satisfaction. With my second helping, I'll let my mouth in on the enjoyment. Oh, and Adam, you are one lucky man. Toni sure can cook!"

"Yes, Toni is very good at a lot of things." Adam smiled at her, and she had to blush. She knew that he was referring to a lot more than cooking, sewing, and riding. Their relationship was growing more and more intimate. She wanted more and she knew Adam did too. He was sometimes frustrated when he had to pull away from her, but both wanted to wait until marriage. It was however getting more and more difficult to wait. Five more weeks was beginning to seem like a very long time indeed.

The next day after church services, Adam and Toni went to the lake for a picnic. After eating, they were lying side by side on the blanket kissing until Adam pulled away and laid on his back staring up through the trees.

"Sweetheart, I don't know how much more of this I can take. Perhaps we can elope. We can go to town right now and the reverend can marry us."

"Adam, I know it's hard." Adam just gave Toni one of those grins then and she knew exactly what he was thinking, and she couldn't help it, she just started laughing and laid on her back next to him. It was quiet, and they heard a horse approaching so Adam rolled over on his stomach taking his pistol in his hand and making sure Toni was safely behind him. He looked and saw that it was Hoss, which was a relief.

"Just wanted to let you know I saw Bill riding out in this general direction. Wasn't sure what he was up to, and I don't know where he is now. I'll just be up on the ridge there and wanted to let you know so you didn't think I was spying on ya or nothing."

"Hoss you don't have to do that. What are you going to do, just sit up there?"

"Nah, I got those stories that Sam sent to ya that ya let me borrow, and they're real good stories too so I'm going to do some more reading. It's nice and pretty up there so I'll be fine."

"Thanks. We won't be staying much longer. Thank you for watching out for us."

"Anytime brother, anytime."

"Hoss, we have some cookies left from our lunch. Would you like them?"

Toni was already wrapping the cookies in a napkin knowing the answer to her question and brought them to Hoss who was smiling his thanks. Once Hoss rode up the hill, Adam and Toni strolled hand-in-hand to the shoreline. They spent some time skipping stones to see who could get the most skips. Adam felt uneasy but didn't know why. Up in the treeline, there were two pairs of eyes watching their every move. Bill and Susan had watched them for quite a while now after rendezvousing and then surreptitiously approaching to watch. Jealousy and anger infused both. When Adam and Toni packed up the picnic blanket and basket and left in the buggy, Susan and Bill began to talk. They agreed that something had to happen soon or their beloved would be lost to each of them forever.

"I need to get Cartwright out of the picture, so I can take Toni away from here. Once he's no longer around, she'll be able to express her feelings for me."

"And once she leaves him, I can console him in his loss, and he will remember how he felt about me."

They talked more and more, but the same basic theme prevailed. It was only later when Susan was at home, that she began to wonder at some of the phrases Bill had used. She worried that he might hurt Adam, but then thought that if he was hurt, that might work out well for her. Of course she didn't want Adam hurt seriously of course. But if he was confined to bed and needed care, she could always volunteer to help. She thought of all the things she could do for him, and she relished a situation like that in which he couldn't get away from her. He would see then how much she cared for him. The fantasy began to have a very pleasant appeal to her so the idea of Bill hurting Adam didn't bother her. She decided she ought to talk to Bill about that. Bill had shown himself to be a true gentleman with her, so she decided she needed to trust him on this, but she remained a bit uneasy whenever she thought of how he looked and sounded on that Sunday afternoon by the lake.

Chapter 9

On Monday, everyone on the Ponderosa settled back into their routine. The only difference was that Adam had to go to the timber camps with maps for marking trees and to the sawmill to get an order started. He also wanted to do some preliminary work on choosing wood for their home construction, so he left early but not before making sure that Hoss or Joe would be available to escort Toni to her father's ranch if she needed to go. When he arrived home well after dinner, he was tired and a bit saddlesore. Toni came rushing into the stable as he was rubbing Sport down. She explained that she had gotten a telegram that her sister Teresa who would be there within two days. Teresa's husband David was going to Salt Lake City on business and would travel directly to the Ponderosa from there. Therefore her sister was free to travel sooner, and she and her young son were already on their way.

"Adam, I know you'll like Teresa. She's fun loving but is a great fan of poetry, classical literature, and music. She and I have had wonderful discussions. Her son Davy is a charmer, and I think he will love Hoss and Joe."

Adam was amused by her excitement. "So she will be here for your birthday. I guess it will be a family dinner instead of a romantic dinner in town then."

"Oh you are not too disappointed are you? I haven't seen my sister in a long time now and Davy must have grown a lot since I saw him last."

"No I'm just teasing you a little. I am happy that you are so happy." Adam embraced her then and kissed her. They walked arm-in-arm to the house so that Hop Sing wouldn't have to yell at them for being late. Adam went to the washroom and cleaned up a bit and joined his family for dinner. The rest of the family and Hop Sing already knew of Teresa impending arrival and were just as amused as Adam with Toni's obvious excitement.

By Tuesday evening, Toni could hardly go to sleep with the excitement that was building, and woke up very early on Wednesday morning. She dressed and went very quietly down stairs thinking she must be the only one awake so early, but the fireplace was stoked with a merry blaze there taking the early morning chill out of the room. As she entered the great room, Hop Sing came out carrying a tray with a cup of tea with sugar, and a fresh baked cookie for her. She was amazed, but she shouldn't have been because Adam had told her that they were constantly amazed that Hop Sing seemed to know what would happen before it did. Then Hop Sing returned to the room with a cup of coffee and another cookie on a plate just before Adam walked in from outside.

"Couldn't sleep?" they both said almost simultaneously, and then laughed. "You first."

"I wanted to get my chores done so I could clean up before we went to town to greet your sister and nephew. I didn't want to smell like the stable when I first met them."

"I was just too excited to sleep any more. I can't wait for you to meet Teresa, and to have her and Davy stay here. It's going to be so much fun. Teresa and I can start working on my dress, and planning the wedding. I want to take her riding too to see Papa's ranch and to see some of the Ponderosa."

"As long as there is someone with you? Please."

"Do you think we need to? Everything seems to be fine, and everyone says that Bill is spending all of his free time with Susan. Who would have thought that your mean little stunt could turn out so well."

"If you recall, I was actually only carrying out your suggestion. I'm still not comfortable with the situation. I don't trust him and most definitely don't trust Susan."

"But Joe won't fire him?"

"No, Bill's been a good worker, hasn't caused any trouble, and Joe says he needs him for the drive. At least when the drive starts, he'll be gone for a few weeks. That reminds me that Hoss has cut out some young bulls and a few cows that he thinks your father may like. We should ride out to the south pasture where he has them to see if you agree. If you do, we'll hold them there until your father can give us a definite answer."

"Perhaps tomorrow then, and Teresa can ride with us."

"As a chaperone?"

"It might help." Toni had to laugh at the sour expression he gave her even if it was followed with a shrug and a smile.

They got to town early, and greeted some of the people that Toni had already met and received many good wishes and expressions of hope that the weather would be fine on their wedding day. By about 11:30 with the stage almost an hour late, Toni was fidgeting and worried that something had happened. Adam tried to let her know this was not an unusual occurrence for a stage run that came through the mountains, but she would not be comforted. Finally they heard the stage coming down the street, and Toni rushed outside the depot. When the stage pulled to a stop, she immediately questioned the driver as to why they were late. He said they had to change out some harness at one of the way stations and that they had a full load so they couldn't go as fast as usual. The door to the stage opened and a beautiful young lady emerged laughing with delight. She turned to reach back for a toddler who was wide-eyed with wonder at this new town and its sights.

"Some things never change little sister. How did I know you would grill the poor man as soon as he stopped the stage." Toni rushed forward and hugged her sister. Both soon had tears streaming down their cheeks. "Davy do you remember your Aunt Toni?"

"Yes, she's the horsey lady. She gives me rides on her horsey." He reached up his arms for Toni to pick him up.

Hugging Davy to her, Toni turned toward Adam. "Teresa, this is Adam." Teresa looked up into the tall dark cowboy's sparkling eyes and turned to Toni and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You never said he was gorgeous." She turned back to Adam to smile and greet him. He took Teresa's hand and kissed the back of it.

"Welcome to Virginia City. I have heard so much about you. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here."

"Oh I'm sure I will. The scenery is gorgeous here, magnificent even."

Adam walked to the stage to collect the luggage, and both Toni and Teresa watched him as he bent to pick up their bags and trunks and then carried them to the buggy. They turned to each other and giggled. After stowing everything in the back of the buggy, Adam asked if they would like lunch in town or if they would prefer to go directly to the ranch. Teresa said it would be fine to wait until they got to the ranch, but Toni let her know that would be about two hours from then. Teresa changed her mind with that bit of information and said they would like a light lunch before leaving. Toni put Davy down as he was getting rather big to hold for very long, and he leaned back against her to look up at Adam.

"You real tall."

"Would you like to see what it looks like from up here?" Davy nodded his head vigorously to indicate an enthusiastic yes to that, and Adam picked him up to put him on his shoulder. Davy had a huge grin and started to look around at all there was to see.

"Adam, as you can see, my son has no fear. That scares me to death every time he is out of my sight. I never know what he's going to be doing next. And he runs instead of walking whenever he can."

Looking at Toni, Adam smiled. "Now that reminds me of someone. This is exactly what Joe was like when he was young, and he's not that much different now. Toni, let's be sure to give your sister the downstairs guest room so we don't have anyone crawling out on the porch roof."

After a quick lunch, Adam helped the ladies and Davy into the buggy, and they headed to the Ponderosa. After more than an hour, Teresa asked how much further they would go before seeing the ranch, and Toni replied that they had been on the Ponderosa for almost half an hour already and that in about forty minutes they would be at the ranch house. Tony had talked about his friend Ben's large ranch, but Teresa had no idea it was that large. When they got to the ranch house, Ben, Hoss, and Joe all came out to greet them. Davy had thought that Adam was big, but when he saw Hoss, he just stood with his mouth open and stared up at him. Hoss made the same offer that Adam had made in town, and soon Davy was seated on Hoss' broad shoulders. Davy wanted to see the horses so Hoss took him over to the corral. Joe took care of the carriage while Ben and Adam carried the bags and trunks into the downstairs bedroom. Toni spent the next hour helping Teresa unpack and get settled in.

For that night, Hop Sing had prepared a special dinner of roast pork, baked apples, sweet potatoes, and corn bread. It was to celebrate Teresa's arrival as well as Toni's birthday. When the meal was consumed, Hop Sing brought out a chocolate layer cake with candles, and Ben opened a bottle of champagne that he had been chilling all day. After dinner, everyone settled into a seat in the great room. Toni sat on the settee with Adam on one side and Teresa on the other.

"Adam, you told me I would know what was in those boxes when it was my birthday. So there are only a few more hours of my birthday left."

Grinning broadly, Adam stood, and reached behind Ben's desk to pick up three boxes for Toni to open. He set them on the coffee table, and said she could open whichever one she wanted to open first. Toni opened the biggest box to find a light blue corduroy jacket with matching leather gloves. She turned to Adam and thanked him for being so thoughtful because she would need those with the cold winters here. She opened the middle sized box next and found a navy blue split skirt and a blouse the same color as the jacket. Now she had tears in her eyes because she knew he had ordered this all made especially for her. She opened the smallest box last. It looked like a hatbox and that is what was in it: a navy blue hat with a band that matched the one on Adam's hat. There were two holes on one side of the hat and a small leather strap. She looked in the bottom of the box and there was a large white feather.

"Mrs. Taylor insisted that on more formal occasions you might like to put a feather in your hat."

Toni started to laugh and cry at the same time. Teresa wrapped her arms around her and whispered in her ear. She had the matching items spread across her lap, and Teresa took them so they wouldn't get tear stained as Adam gave her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. He hugged her and then it was Teresa's turn to hug her little sister. She whispered in her ear one more time.

"You got a winner with this one. He was worth the wait!"

Chapter 10

On Thursday, Adam rode with Toni and Teresa to Tony's ranch. Davy took turns riding with each of them. After fixing a lunch there, they rode to the lake and up to the rim above the lake to see the views. Adam had spread out for lunch letting him sleep and sat on it with his arm wrapped around Davy as the boy snuggled back into him. They rested that way for an hour and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the scene until they regretfully knew they needed to ride back before anyone began to worry about them. Very carefully, Adam gathered Davy in his arms and kept him there for the ride home Mounting up was difficult, but he managed to do it without letting Davy awaken. The ladies took charge of gathering the blanket and basket. Teresa whispered to Toni as Adam turned Sport for a slow ride home.

"He's good with children too. He can't be this perfect."

"Well, I have to admit that he can be a bit moody and touchy about some things, but yes, overall he is perfect!" They both giggled.

"When we get back to the house, let's get this show on the road. We got a wedding to plan! Race you back to the house?"

Both ladies raced to their horses and took off at a gallop. Adam shook his head, kept a tight rein on Sport so he wouldn't join in on the race toward home, and rode slowly back as Davy slept peacefully in his arms. With a small smile, he thought about having a child of his own. When he got to the yard, Toni was all smiles because Tempest had won by more than one hundred yards, but Teresa said it was only because she knew where she was going so she could be more confident. The sibling rivalry discussion continued for the rest of the afternoon until Adam declared that Toni won because she gave herself a better horse. That seemed to satisfy the two of them. They then began working on wedding plans the rest of the day so Adam excused himself to his room to work on the drawings and specifications for their house. He was nearly done and wanted to order the lumber and other supplies soon so that they could begin construction within a month.

On Friday, Hoss asked for help with the roundup in the northwestern high pastures. A lot of the cows had gotten themselves into various small canyons up there and it was going to be tough job to round them up, head them out, and then keep them together for the drive. He asked Joe and some of the wranglers to be ready to hold them as they came down through the meadow below the canyon so they wouldn't scatter again. He wanted Adam to position himself at the top of the meadow and steer the cattle that came his way into the meadow where Joe and the wranglers could round them up. Hoss' regular crew would do the searching of the canyons pushing the cattle down toward where Adam would turn them. It was a good plan except that Bill saw an opportunity for which he had been waiting. Hoss was putting Adam alone and in a spot where no one would be able to see him. Bill planned to be on the outside edge of Joe's group so that he could slip away without being noticed. He wanted to carry out the attack on Adam and get back before Adam's body was discovered. He thought he would be able to manage it. The men headed out early to get to where they needed to be to accomplish the tasks they needed to do. No one seemed too worried about Bill because he was going to be well away from the ranchhouse, and they still mainly assumed that he was a danger to Toni not realizing that the real danger was to Adam.

That morning, Susan decided that she needed to speak with Bill. The more she had thought about the things he had said, the more she worried that he was going to do something to Adam and that it was going to be very serious. However when she arrived on the Ponderosa, she found that almost everyone was gone. She knocked on the door and Toni and Teresa answered. When Toni saw Susan, she wanted to shut the door but instead asked if she could help her. Susan said she needed to see Bill so Toni said he was helping with the roundup and would be about five miles to the northwest if Susan wanted to try to find him. Excusing herself and apologizing for being a bother, Susan got back on her horse and rode off. Toni shook her head in wonder that the woman who was so critical of how she rode, rode the same way. Teresa asked who the woman was and what was going on so Toni filled her in on the whole Susan and Bill saga and how Susan had initially hurt her very much.

At noon, the men on roundup had agreed, they would all take a lunch break wherever they were. Adam had been helping Hoss for the morning, but they were ready to begin moving cattle so he had ridden down to his assigned position, dismounted, and led Sport to a small stream for a drink. He then let him graze a little as he unwrapped the sandwich that Hop Sing had sent along. Sitting on a log, he relaxed and watched Sport lazily meander through the long lush grass at that spot. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks and debris hid the sound of someone coming up behind him through that soft grass, and suddenly he felt a sharp stab in his left side. He gasped in pain as someone pushed him to the ground. Working to get his breathing under control, Adam rolled onto his right side and looked up as Bill stood over him holding a bloody knife.

"Time's up for you, Cartwright. I'm in control now." Bill kicked Adam in the abdomen and as he gasped again in pain, Bill pushed him onto his back and pulled his gun out of the holster and stuck it in his belt. Then he pushed a manacle on Adam's left wrist and tied a piece of rope through it. "Get up and move." Adam struggled to rise but with Bill pulling on the rope and the pain in his back, he fell. Bill kicked him again and again screaming to him to get up and move. Finally Bill started to drag Adam by the arm to the trail where the cattle would come pounding through in a short time. He secured the rope to a small sapling and then tied a rope to Adam's left ankle.

"Now, I'm gonna go tie that to a sapling on the other side of the trail. When the cattle come running through here, they're gonna split you into pieces. I'll take the manacles off then. It won't be hard to do as I doubt you'll be in one piece any more. I reckon they'll rip your arm and your leg right off'n your body. I'm gonna love watching this. You hurt me by stealing Toni, and now I get to hurt you back."

About that time, Susan rode up and quickly assessed what Bill had done. "No, no, stop. You hurt him. You weren't supposed to hurt him like this."

Susan dismounted and ran to Bill and tried to get the rope from him. In the struggle, Bill dropped the rope and began to push Susan away but she was not to be stopped.

"Let me finish, you stupid cow. I need to tie that rope to finish this. Those cows will kill him and you'll have your revenge on him."

"I don't want revenge on him. I want him. Now you have to let him go."

The bellowing of cows could be heard getting closer and closer. Bill could not subdue Susan and they continued to struggle. Even in the great pain he was in, Adam realized the danger he was in and tried to roll away from the trail. He could only get so far though because of the rope securing his left arm to the sapling. When he heard the cattle were nearly on them, he pushed himself up against a large boulder and did his best to protect his upper body and his head. Bill realized the danger too, and with a burst of strength shoved Susan to the ground just as the first cows came pounding through. Susan never had a chance and was trampled to death with her screams lasting only seconds. Bill took a glancing blow and then fled through the brush. Adam got kicked a few times and his left leg was trampled by a few cows. The pain was severe, and he screamed with the severe shock of it. There weren't enough cattle to drown out the sound of his voice and the screams seemed to make the others shy away from where he did his best to press away from where the cattle were rushing by him. Susan's screams and then Adam's alerted the men that something had gone terribly wrong. Hoss was the closest of the men pushing the cattle through and was horrified when he got to the scene and saw a mangled body laying in the tracks the cattle had made. He dismounted and ran first to the black clad figure hunched up by a large boulder.

"Adam, what happened?"

Adam was in no shape to answer. Hoss saw the manacle on his wrist and the rope tied to the sapling. He cut the rope away and carefully rolled Adam away from the boulder to survey his injuries. Hoss fired the Cartwright signal for distress: three pistol shots. He hoped more help would arrive soon and it did. Joe and the wranglers arrived quickly as did the rest of the drovers. They were as shocked as Hoss had been to find an unidentifiable body that looked female lying in the trail, and Adam wounded, beaten, and trampled with a manacle on his wrist and a rope tied to his left ankle.

"Joe, can you and some of the men get the wagon up here as soon as you can. Send for Hop Sing and medical supplies and bandages too."

"Hoss, I'll send my fastest rider to get Dr. Paul, and tell him to send Roy. I better send someone to the house too and let them know we're bringing Adam in and that he's hurt real bad."

Both of them realized then that not only would their father be very worried, but Toni would likely be frantic with worry as well. There was nothing they could do about that. The manacles on Adam made it clear that whatever had happened to him was an attack so both brothers wanted to stay with him to protect him. When Hoss found the wound on Adam's back, they were even more concerned. It was even more clear then that someone had wanted to kill their brother. Hoss asked one of the men to run to his saddlebags to get the large napkins that Hop Sing had used to wrap his lunch. He folded those into a thick pad and pressed it up against the wound. Adam groaned and tried to pull away but Hoss just kept talking to him and telling him not to move so they could get the bleeding stopped. While Hoss took care of Adam with the help of a couple of the men, the others headed down the hill the round up the scattered cattle. It was then that some of the men noticed that Bill Roberts wasn't with them. Talking among themselves, they realized that they hadn't seen him at all since lunch had been called. One rode back to tell Hoss and Joe.

"Joe, maybe you oughta go back to the house. You can tell Pa and Toni exactly what we found here. I got two men here to help me take care of Adam and protect him. You know Pa is gonna be worried sick, and Toni is gonna be fretting something fierce. The man you sent can guide Hop Sing back here, and you can stay and see to Pa and Toni."

Nodding, Joe had to agree with the logic of everything Hoss had said. "All right, but you take real good care of him. I'm going to tell Pa and Toni that he's going to be all right, and I don't want you to make a liar out of me." Hoss saw the tears glistening in Joe's eyes.

"I'll do my damndest, Joe. You know I will."

At the house, after sending out the hand with Hop Sing, Joe went inside to tell his father and Toni everything he knew about what had happened. Toni wanted to go to Adam but Joe and Ben insisted that Hoss and Hop Sing would do what was needed, and there were preparations they should make for Adam's arrival at the house. Adam's bed was stripped of the quilt and blankets and several sheets were draped over the bottom sheet. After he was cleaned up, it would be easier to remove the soiled bed linens, and he would lie on a clean sheet. Ben had Toni and Teresa tear up some bedsheets for more bandages because at this point they didn't know how many they would need. Pots of water were set to boil on the stove so they would have plenty to clean Adam up once he arrived at the ranch.

As they heard the wagon pull up outside, Toni ran to the door and outside. Hoss was climbing in to the back of the wagon to pick up Adam. Ben moved to the side of the wagon to take him when Hoss lifted him down. Joe had to wrap his arms around Toni who was distraught and wanted to help but didn't know what to do. Hoss jumped down from the wagon and took Adam from Ben's arms and carried him into the house and up to his room. Adam was unconscious which was fortuitous at this time because the pain would have been excruciating from all the movement.

Toni, and Ben undressed Adam cutting away most of his clothing so they would not have to jostle him much. With bowls of warm soapy water that Teresa brought to the room, they bathed the blood and dirt from his body. Tears ran down Toni's face as she worked but she stayed composed and efficiently worked to help Adam in any way she could. As they worked, Hop Sing kept a steady pressure on the wound on his back. As areas were cleaned, they applied bandages as needed. His whole leg was heavily packed with pads of cloth and wrapped tightly. When he was clean and bandaged, they carefully tipped his body to the right and pulled the sheets away from that side of the bed and folded them toward him, and then with Ben supporting his left side, they rolled him that way over the folded sheets and removed the soiled ones. Ben rolled those up and Teresa gathered them and the bowls and took them away. Carefully Ben and Toni pulled a sheet up to Adam's waist and then laid a blanket over that. Ben folded another blanket and laid it over his upper body to his chin. Hoss had brought tools from the barn and removed the manacle. Other than that, all they could do was wait for Paul's arrival as Hop Sing kept pressure on the wound in his back. It wasn't bleeding much any more which was a good sign, but they needed the doctor to examine it, clean it out, and then probably stitch it closed before it was bandaged.

Downstairs, Hoss, Joe, and Teresa were discussing what had happened. Both of the men thought the body was that of a woman but after being trampled it was difficult to be absolutely certain and their concern had been more for Adam. Teresa said that Susan had been at the house earlier and that Toni had given directions for her to find Bill. After Teresa described what Susan had been wearing, they were then certain that it was Susan who had been trampled to death. Joe wondered where Bill was. No one had seen him since just before the lunch break. Both Hoss and Joe were openly suspicious that Bill was responsible for what had happened, but until Adam was able to tell them something, they was nothing they could do. The only good news was that Davy slept undisturbed in the downstairs bedroom, and he was the only one who would get any decent rest in the house this day and night.

Chapter 11

Dr. Paul Martin arrived at the Ponderosa as the same time as Sheriff Roy Coffee Even though they had raced to get there, it had been hours since Adam was injured. Paul came through the door and before anyone could say a word he moved to the stairs.

"Unfortunately, I know the way." He rushed up the stairs. So many times he had to patch up one of Ben's sons. Each time, he just hoped it would not be too serious. He was wondering again if retirement wouldn't be a welcome relief. But at this point he had to wall his emotions up inside because he had a patient who needed him. As he walked into Adam's room, he saw him lying on his right side with a very pale pallor and breathing very shallowly. Hop Sing was at his left side pressing a large wad of cloth to his back. Ben and Toni sat on the right side of the bed and Toni was holding his hand.

"Paul I'm afraid he has some damaged ribs again. They may even be broken. He struggles with every breath he takes."

"Ben and Toni, I want the two of you to leave please. Hop Sing can help me with Adam."

"I want to stay." was an instant response from both of them.

"Ben, you know you would just be in the way, and I can't be answering your questions while I try to care for your son. It is just too distracting. Toni, have you ever nursed someone with serious injuries like these?"

"No, but I just want to be here for him."

"From the looks of him, he has no idea anyone is here at the moment. You can do more by getting some food and some rest because he will need to have someone with him later and probably for the next twenty-four hours."

Reluctantly, Toni let Ben escort her from the room. Once in the hallway with the door closed behind them, she almost collapsed in grief. Ben was ready though because he had seen how distraught she was and caught her before she could fall to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and held her comforting for a few minutes as she cried her heart out.

"Toni, Adam has been hurt before and worse than this. He's very strong, and Paul is a very good doctor. With Hop Sing's help, he will have Adam patched up very soon."

Ben's words were too optimistic though. After escorting Toni to the great room where the others were gathered with Roy who had also arrived, it was over two hours before they saw Paul appear at the top of the stairs to tell them that they could see Adam again. Roy had gotten the information he could from Hoss, Joe, Teresa, and Toni so he took his leave. Roy did not want to intrude on the family any more than he needed. He had a soft spot for Adam though and had to wipe away a few tears before he mounted up and rode away with some time now to think about what he had learned and to say some prayers for Adam's recovery. He thought it simply didn't seem fair that Adam would get hurt so badly when he had finally gotten the lady in his life that he had been looking for these many years. Roy also had the unpleasant task ahead of him to tell Mrs. Taylor of her daughter's death. The hands had brought in Sport and Susan's horse while Paul was caring for Adam and Roy was questioning the others who had been at the scene. It had pretty much confirmed that the body was Susan.

When Paul had appeared at the top of the stairs, Toni raced everyone to get there and paused to ask Paul how Adam was. Ben, Hoss, Joe, and Teresa followed up the stairs and heard the answer to the question they all wanted to ask as well. He could see the worry in their faces and did his best to reassure them as much as he could.

"It looks much worse than it is. The most serious is that stab wound in his back, but the blow was struck at a downward angle so even though it penetrated about six inches, there is no critical damage. It took some time to stop the bleeding, clean that wound thoroughly, and stitch it up, but overall, it looks good at this time. The blood loss will make him weak for some time, but if there are no complications, the only result will be a small scar. He's not conscious now, but that's to be expected and the result of the shock and the pain as well as the blood loss. Ben, you were correct about the ribs. He has several cracked ribs, but none are displaced so I wrapped him up tightly to hold them in place as they heal. He has numerous severe contusions or bruises on his back, left side, and his left leg. Some are the result of the cattle trampling him but others look more like he was kicked by a man wearing a boot and that's most apparent in those on his back and left side. He is going to be stiff and in quite a bit of pain for the next week as those heal. There was a severe laceration on his left wrist that looks like it was from him being chained and trying to get free." With that, he raised a quizzical eyebrow at them.

Hoss answered quickly. "Doc, when I got to him, there was a manacle on his wrist and a rope tying him to a tree and another rope and manacle around his left ankle. Somebody meant to tie him across the trail so he would be trampled to death." Hoss left out the more grisly fate that actually awaited him if Bill had been successful in what he wanted to do.

Toni went white with shock at hearing even what he had said again because even though she already knew it from hearing Hoss discuss it with Roy, the thought that someone could do that to Adam was abhorrent. Looking at her, Ben took her arm again, and Paul suggested they ought to get her sitting down. Toni insisted the only place she wanted to sit was next to Adam so Ben and Teresa walked her to his room. Hop Sing was leaving with the debris from Paul's work, but stopped to tell Toni that she was the medicine Mister Adam needed more than anything.

As they entered Adam's room, Toni moved to sit on his right side. Ben pulled another chair from Adam's desk over to the left side of the bed. Teresa said she would ask for coffee or tea for them and would be right back. By the time she got downstairs, Davy was awake and needing attention so she asked if someone could bring tea and coffee upstairs. Joe volunteered. He and Adam frequently had their differences, but he loved his brother dearly. He was feeling guilty too because he suspected as did Hoss and Roy that it was Bill who had done this. If that was true, then Joe believed he was at fault for putting Adam in danger. He had dismissed Adam's concerns about Bill because it seemed Adam was always suspicious of strangers and made them prove themselves before he accepted them. Joe liked to have more faith in people and knew once again that he may have caused harm by doing that. After delivering tea to Toni and coffee to his Pa, he came downstairs to talk with Hoss.

"Hoss, we gotta find Bill. I have to do this."

"Joe, we don't know that he did this. Adam ain't been able to tell us anything yet. Although it does make Bill look more guilty by him disappearing like this."

"I just think we should find him and get him back here. We need to know what the heck is going on and there's nothing we can do here. Paul says that Adam is going to be all right. What we can do is find Bill. If you don't want to go, I'll get some hands and we'll go, but you're the best tracker here other than Adam so I could really use your help."

"Get a couple of the hands. Just don't tell everybody what we're doing. We don't need to stir up a lynch mob. Of course if he did do this, I may just strangle him with my bare hands."

Chapter 12

Adam cried out in his torment. "Toni, Toni, why did you do this to me? Why did you hurt me so much? Please make it stop. The pain is so awful, the pain." And then he collapsed into his father's arms. Ben began to cry when he realized his son was no longer breathing. His sightless eyes just stared at the ceiling. Ben glared at Toni. "You've killed my son. Get out of here, Get out!" She turned to run and there were Hoss and Joe with hostile glares to match Ben's. "Wish older brother had never laid eyes on you. We were a happy family till you got here." "You can run but you will never be able to hide from me. After my family buries my brother, I'll find you and make you pay!"

Toni yelped as she awoke to Ben's hand on her arm. She looked up into his eyes not to see condemnation but only concern. She turned suddenly and looked at the bed. Adam was still unconscious it appeared and his breathing still sounded raspy, but he was alive!

"A bad dream?"

"Yes. A horrible dream! How does anyone cope with this? I see him hurt and suffering and everyone knows it's my fault. If I hadn't brought Bill Roberts into his life, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't be lying there in agony because of what I did. How can he love me and marry me after this?" Tears were running down her cheeks.

Taking on that fatherly tone he knew how to use so well with his sons, Ben was firm but reassuring at the same time. "Now you listen here. None of this is your fault. If Bill did this, then it is his fault and his alone. You and Adam are so much alike in some ways that it is frightening. He always wants to shoulder the responsibility too when things go wrong, but everyone is responsible only for what they do, not what others choose to do. You and Adam have acted with the highest level of decency and morality here. I know that some things have been difficult for the two of you. But I can tell that you and my son know what is right, and despite any difficulties, you will only do what your principles allow you to do. So there will be no more talk of blame. We will concentrate on getting Adam healthy and on his feet again because I don't think either of you would be willing to postpone the wedding!" Ben smiled at her with the last comment, and Toni blushed because he had to know the struggles they had to maintain their decision to wait for marriage.

"Can't a man get some peace and quiet when he's dying?" The voice was weak but clear.

Twisting to look at the bed where Adam lay, Toni saw his eyes were half open and that he was looking at the two of them. "Oh Adam, you're not dying. Dr. Paul said you're going to be fine." Toni knelt by the side of the bed and grasped Adam's hand.

"Well, I do trust him, but about ninety per cent of me feels like it's dying."

"Son, if you're going to let yourself get run over by a herd of cattle, that's how you're going to feel."

"Sorry, Pa, but it wasn't my idea. Bill tried to kill me. Susan saved my life. If she hadn't fought with Bill to try to stop him, I would have had that whole herd trampling over me. What happened to her? Is she hurt? I heard her scream and I was afraid she got caught in the middle of them, but then the cows were all over, and I don't remember anything else." Adam's voice was getting weaker as he talked. It was clear he was pushing himself to find out as much as he could while he had the strength to ask.

Ben glanced at Toni and wondered how much they ought to tell him. The pause was enough though.

"She's dead isn't she?"

"Yes, son, I'm sorry to have to tell you that. From what Hoss and Joe said, it looked like she never had a chance. It was probably over in seconds. Roy went to tell her mother."

Adam closed his eyes too weak to continue the conversation. Toni wondered what he was thinking, but realized that he had fallen asleep. Ben looked at her and nodded, and then went to tell the others that Adam had been awake and had confirmed what they had suspected about Bill. The news about Susan was unexpected but could perhaps give some consolation to Mrs. Taylor. When he got to the great room, he found Teresa reading a story to Davy, and no one else was there. Teresa looked up as he came down the stairs.

"Adam is going to be fine. He was awake and confirmed that Bill did this. Do you know where Hoss and Joe are?"

"They took some of the hands and went to track down Bill. They thought he ought to come back here and answer some questions."

Now Ben was doubly worried, for his son who was seriously injured and for his other two sons who were tracking the man who had harmed him.

Upstairs, Toni sat next to Adam and held his right hand and caressed the back of it. She accepted most of what Ben had said and was glad he wasn't blaming her. She was still wondering though if she could have done something differently with Bill so that this would not have happened. Ben had said she was not to blame. Toni had to hope and pray that Adam would feel the same way. She had never loved anyone like she loved him. In fact, she hadn't known what love like this even was. Although they had been together such a short time, she couldn't imagine being with anyone else for the rest of her life. She sighed and rested her forehead against Adam's hand, and waited for him to awaken again. She wondered where Bill Roberts was, and she worried about what he might do next.

The man in question, Bill Roberts had about a five hours head start on the men who were following him and had taken full advantage of it. He had made good progress and managed to set a number of false trails into shale and other debris so that they would lose time before they realized he had not gone any of those ways. Then about four hours into the ride going west, he had turned from the well used trail he was on and gone due north riding up a shallow stream for about one half mile. He thought they would expect him to go east or west, and it was not likely that anyone thought he would head north into the much rougher country without any towns near. With the other tracks on the trail, he hoped they would never find where he had turned off. He planned to push another two hours through this terrain and then head to higher ground. There he would make a cold camp and watch to see if anyone was following. He wondered if Adam Cartwright was dead. He probably should be but that darn Susan had interfered and now he wasn't sure if his plan had worked. He thought she at least got what was a deservedly nasty demise. He had grown very tired of her endless prattling on about Adam Cartwright and all the wonderful things he could do. He smiled when he remembered that he wouldn't have to put up with that anymore. If Adam was dead, he wondered how he would get Toni though because now they probably had some idea that he was involved. Fleeing had been mostly a panicked decision and not well thought out. Realizing the problems with it, he knew he should have stayed to remove the shackles from Adam and probably to do what he had to do to make sure the man died. However, he had not thought his plan through to that point and anticipated all that might happen especially that someone like Susan might arrive and try to stop him because he had been focused solely on eliminating his rival. Knowing that his focus had been too narrow, he had more thinking to do now to try to find a way out of his dilemma.

Riding hard, Hoss, Joe, Charlie, and Hank stopped to get water at the stream where Bill had ridden his horse into the stream in order to ride north. Hoss had been unable to track him on the trail because there were too many tracks already so they had just been watching to see if he veered off the trail at any point. They had already lost time following false trails so they knew he was worried about being followed. It was all they needed to be sure he had been the one to attack Adam. Now they needed to catch him.

"Hey Hoss. We've used this stream for fresh water before when we traveled this way, and I never remember this much debris floating downstream. Usually there's just a nice steady flow of cool, clean water over these rocks. I need a cloth to cover the canteens or we aren't going to be able to use this water."

When Hoss walked over to where Joe was trying to fill the canteens, he too noticed the leaves and other material washing over the rocks. He looked north and there were no clouds over the mountains to indicate that a rainfall could have washed debris into the creek. He looked at the others, pointed north, mounted up on Chubb and began following the creek looking for signs of a horse leaving the stream. In twenty minutes, he found where a horse had exited, and he began to follow a clear trail for the first time that day. Joe looked ahead at the terrain.

"Hoss, I think he's likely headed to the ridge about half way up that mountain there. He could see us coming from a couple of miles away. He could pick us off one by one if he is any good with a rifle because he would have the high ground, and there's no cover below that hill since that avalanche last year took out all the trees. When we were up here hunting a couple of months ago, Adam showed me some trails the Paiutes use. I think I could use those and come up behind anyone who tries to camp near that rim."

"Why don't you and Charlie head that way then. We'll wait here for a bit and then go slow like we're having a hard time finding the trail he left."

Without any more discussion, Joe and Charlie turned and rode directly to the west then and disappeared quickly as they rode further into the trees. Even if Bill was already watching from that vantage point, he would likely not be able to see them that clearly yet because of the tree cover. Hoss and Hank got down and watered and rested the horses. After about an hour, they mounted up and went very slowly along the trail that they believed Bill had left. Just as twilight was descending, a rifle shot plowed into the dirt at Chubb's feet startling both horses and riders. Hoss and Hank quickly got down and stood behind their horses. They had gotten far enough that they were in the open. After just a few minutes, they heard three pistol shots. As they looked up to the ridge, they saw a man standing and waving his arm at them. They couldn't tell who it was in the light that was left, but it was clear that there was no longer a threat from whoever had shot at them. They rode carefully up the steep incline until reaching the area where they had seen the man waving.

"About time you got here. Next time we need to get you a stronger horse." Joe was grinning though so it was clear that Bill was subdued.

"Chubb is just fine. That's just a purty steep climb. Ya got him then?"

"Yeah, we certainly do. We tied him up over behind those boulders. Charlie's keeping an eye on him."

"What'd he have to say."

"Nothing yet. We were sneaking up on him, but I ran and had to club him when I realized he was shooting at you. He hasn't woken up yet. We've been setting up camp waiting for you. Charlie trussed him up like a calf for branding. We can take him back tomorrow morning."

Hoss and Hank walked over to look at their quarry. He had a large lump on the back of his head but wasn't bleeding any more. Charlie had tied his wrists and his ankles together and then tied a rope between the two bindings. He wasn't going anywhere.

"He could die before we get back."

"Don't matter too much now, Hank. He's gonna hang for killing Susan anyway. It would just save a trial."

"Seems a shame he don't get punished for what he done to your brother."

"Charlie, I think that lump on his head that Joe gave him is a pretty good payment for now. He's gonna have a pounding headache when he wakes up and that ride back is gonna be torture for him with every step that horse takes. About five or six hours of hard riding ought to be a good payback."

Charlie grinned in satisfaction at that. The long time foreman of the Ponderosa thought of Ben's sons as family. Meanwhile Joe had taken a seat by the fire and was unusually quiet. Hoss and Charlie walked over and started getting coffee and some food ready. When they had food ready, Hoss took a plate to Joe.

"What's bothering you Joe?"

"It's all pretty much my fault too, what happened to Adam. If I hadn't insisted on keeping Bill working for us, he wouldn't have been able to hurt Adam like that. I wish I could get punished too so I wouldn't have to feel this awful guilt. How can I look Adam in the eye when I get back when it's my fault he's hurt? Damn, and Toni must hate me. Don't tell me it isn't my fault. I don't want to hear it."

Joe got up and stalked off to the ridge and stared down the valley. Hoss knew it wouldn't do any good to try talking to him now. His anger always flared white hot and you couldn't reason with him when he was like that. He was just going to have to stew on it a bit. They could talk tomorrow when he cooled down. Hank and Charlie looked at Hoss and shrugged. They had drawn the same conclusion apparently. It was a quiet meal, and the three of them shared clean up duties. After that, they were all ready to sack out on their bedrolls but waited for Joe to come back. He didn't say anything but rolled out his bedroll next to theirs. They were awakened about two hours later by Bill moaning. They told him to shut up or they'd have Joe hit him again. He lay there silently when he realized that these were Adam's brothers: he didn't want to give them an excuse to kill him.

The next day, after delivering Bill to Sheriff Coffee, Hoss and Joe were anxious to get to the ranch to see how Adam was doing. When they went through the door, they saw Toni coming from the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a bowl of broth on a tray. She smiled to see them, which relieved them immediately of their worst fears. She wouldn't be smiling unless Adam was truly all right.

"He had coffee and broth for breakfast, and he wants more now. You can go up and see him. Quietly though; your father is sleeping in the rocking chair."

Hoss hurried to the stairs to go see his brother. Joe hung back not sure what his reception would be. Toni set the tray down on the second step of the stairs and turned to Joe.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Toni. This is all my fault. If I had let Bill go like Adam wanted, none of this would have happened."

"I'll tell you something a very wise man said to me yesterday when I was blaming myself for Adam being hurt because I brought Bill into his life. 'None of this is your fault. If Bill did this, then it is his fault and his alone. Everyone is responsible only for what they do, not what others choose to do.' It made me feel better."

"Pa?"

"Of course, Papa Ben is a very wise man. Adam doesn't blame us either. He wasn't hit on the head so he has been coherent ever since he first woke up. He is worried that Bill could hurt us again, but I assume you and Hoss took care of that threat."

"He's in jail. He has a very sore head too. 'Papa Ben' huh?"

"Why don't you take the broth and coffee up to Adam. Then maybe you and Hoss can get your father to go lie down in his own bed. I'll go help Hop Sing make lunch for everyone."

Joe grabbed the tray, and with a lighter heart, he went up the stairs to see his brother.

Chapter 13

Toni stormed out of Adam's room and nearly ran in to Ben in the hallway. Ben just grabbed her arms and smiled.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. Nothing is right. I gave him every book in there, and none were what he wanted. I am so frustrated. He's acting like a child but trying to make me feel guilty about it. I know he's hurting, but he can be amazingly annoying."

Unable to help himself, Ben smiled at that comment. When he saw Toni's look, he felt that he had to explain even if Joe might not be happy about it. "On the first night that you and Adam were engaged to be married, Joe made a comment about the two of you pledging at your wedding to love, honor, and annoy each other. It seems he has managed to do it even before the wedding."

Toni sighed in exasperation. "Why does he have to be this way?"

"Adam has never been a good patient. He gets angry when he's ill or hurt. Hoss would enjoy relaxing and being entertained, but Adam as well as Joe seem to be kind of crazy lying in bed. Luckily Paul said a week so we only have four more days of this."

"I may do something I'm sorry for before those four days are up!"

"We need to break the routine for him, get his mind working on something. Is there a project or task for the wedding or for the house you are planning that he could do while in bed?"

Toni started thinking about that. It would have to be something to make him think because a repetitive task would only make things worse. She had an idea!

"Just a moment. I need some paper and a pencil. Do you think Paul would object if we could get him from the bed to his drafting desk?"

"I think Paul would be surprised that Adam hasn't tried to get downstairs already. Yes, with Hoss and Joe, I am sure we can get him to his desk with no trouble. What do you have in mind?"

"Well the house plans are nearly finished, but we will need furniture and other basic items in the rooms. He could start making a plan for that, and then listing what we need to purchase. I could tell him that Hoss and Joe could get the things we need, but that they need a list from him first."

Within an hour, they had Adam sitting at his desk with the house plans in front of him, paper, and a pencil with instructions to start making a plan for furnishing his house. He worked for over two hours and when Toni came to check on him, he had made a lot of progress. He smiled as she came in the room.

"There's one more thing I can do when I'm sitting here."

"What's that?"

As Toni stepped next to Adam's desk, he pulled her to him with his right arm. His left arm was still limited in mobility due to the injuries to his back, side, and ribs. Toni wrapped her arms gently around him, and they kissed.

"I'm sorry I have been acting so badly. I feel like I'm in a cage when I'm lying in bed all day, every day. I'll try to mind my manners better. Thank you for putting up with me. I am rather tired now though so could you please ask Hoss or Joe to help me back to the bed?"

"Hoss should be up here in a moment. Papa Ben suggested that it was probably time for you to rest." Adam smiled. Some things never changed.

"Perhaps at dinner time, I could sit at the table next to my bed and eat like a normal person? Would you dine with me, my lady?"

Toni nodded yes and kissed him. Hoss arrived and helped Adam back to bed. Within minutes, he was asleep. Toni kissed him on the cheek and left him to his slumber.

Adam awoke about two hours later and sensed someone in the room. He turned his head to his right and came eye-to-eye with a little blond tyke who asked him if he was going to be okay. Adam assured him he was feeling better. Davy asked if he could climb up on the bed, and Adam slowly slid over a little to his left to accommodate him.

"Unca Addum, I kinda cold too." So Adam lifted the covers and Davy snuggled in next to him. Adam wrapped his arm around him so he couldn't roll out of bed.

"Would you like me to tell you a story?" Davy shook his head affirmatively and looked at Adam. "Well, I am going to tell you about the time my brother Hoss brought home some baby raccoons. They were all soft and snuggly and each one was only about the size of your hand." Davy picked up his hand and pictured how small the raccoons were. "Hoss hid them in the barn and fed them scraps of food. They grew bigger and started to make some trouble in the barn. . . . "

Teresa went in to the guest room to wake Davy from his nap because he had been sleeping much longer than usual. She panicked when she found the bed was empty. She ran into the great room and then everyone began to search for the little boy. No one thought he could have opened the front door by himself so the search was room by room in the house. When checking the bedrooms upstairs, Toni decided to push the door further open to Adam's room to see if he was still asleep, and she had to smile. She got her sister's attention and then went back to the top of the stairs and signaled everyone to come up stairs. They all walked quietly down the hall to peek in Adam's door to see Davy snuggled up to Adam who had his arm wrapped around the little boy. The two were sound asleep.

For the next three days, Adam's mood improved dramatically as Teresa allowed Davy to spend time with him. Adam told him stories about his brothers' escapades when they were younger, they drew pictures, and Adam sang songs with Davy teaching him words to the chorus on several tunes. They took their naps together in the afternoon. Teresa said it was the most relaxed she had been since Davy learned to walk.

With Davy occupied a few hours each day, Toni and Teresa were able to start work on a wedding dress for Toni, and began to prepare decorations as well. One afternoon, as Adam and Davy were napping, and the other men were busy outside, Toni asked Teresa a question that had been on her mind for weeks. Toni's mother never had a talk with her about what was expected between a man and a woman in marriage because Toni had never been engaged and that was when Rosa had thought it was the appropriate time to discuss such things. So Toni turned to her sister instead.

"Teresa, growing up on a ranch, I have a basic understanding of what happens between a man and a woman when they are married. But I try to picture it in my head, and it just seems so silly and not very enjoyable. Teresa, I really don't know what happens. What am I expected to do?"

"Well, my little sister, for one thing, it may be a lot different than what you may be imagining. It brings a man and a woman closer together than anything else can. There is a closeness there that is matched by nothing else. As for picturing it, don't. It is really something to be experienced not pictured because it is the love, the sharing, and the tenderness that make it wonderful."

So Teresa gave Toni the talk that their mother had given her. Toni was nervous and a little excited then thinking about her wedding night.

As the day of the wedding drew closer, Toni was preparing to play hostess to a houseful at the Ponderosa and at Tony's ranch. Maria, her two children, and her husband were scheduled to arrive within the next week and planned to stay at Tony's ranch. Teresa's husband was scheduled to arrive only days before the wedding. The Cartwright men except for Adam were leaving on a drive that would last about ten days. With the return trip, they would be gone about two weeks so they would be arriving home about the time that Tony would be arriving back at his ranch. Then less than two weeks later, she and Adam would be married. There was a lot to do, but she thought of how almost all was lost less than a week before, and thanked God that Adam was still with her.

The only disturbing element of an otherwise joyful experience was news that Hoss brought home. Bill Roberts had asked for a bench decision at the advice of his lawyer. Both were afraid of facing a jury considering what Bill was accused of doing. The judge found insufficient evidence that Bill intended to kill Susan. Bill then offered a guilty plea to the attempted murder of Adam Cartwright and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It certainly didn't seem to be enough considering the harm that he had done, but it was according to the law. They had to accept it, and at least Bill was finally gone.

Chapter 14

The day of the wedding began with a light rain shower. As the rain diminished and the light showed moved away, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the trees. At the Ponderosa, Adam and his brothers were standing in the porch finishing their coffee and admiring the beautiful fresh start to the day. The rain was welcome and the sunshine that followed promised an auspicious day for a wedding. Ben walked outside to be with his sons. Just a short time before, Toni and her sister had left for the R & D ranch owned by her father. He had named the ranch in honor of his wife and their three offspring: Rosa and daughters. It made for a distinctive brand and a reminder to Tony each day of the treasures with which he had been blessed in his life.

"Adam, you getting real like nervous yet? It ain't too late to back out, older brother. Cause I'd be more than willing to sacrifice myself and take your place. That Toni is really something."

"Hoss, you just forget about that. I have been waiting for this day for many years, and nothing is going to stop me from marrying Toni."

"Well Joe and me are gonna be right there to catch ya in case ya faint dead away when the preacher asks you to pledge to your wife for the rest of your life. Your days of being a carefree bachelor man are gonna be dead and buried. I'm a thinking you might not be able to handle that."

Adam raised an eyebrow at Hoss causing both Hoss and Joe to start laughing. Ben had to join in. It was so good to see Adam back to himself. The recuperation from the injuries caused by Bill Roberts had been long and painful. If he tried to hurry when he was walking, he still had a pronounced limp yet because his left leg still wasn't completely healed. Paul had told him that the muscles might take a few more months to be fully healed. But the bandages around his ribs and the one on his back from the knife wound were gone as those injuries had healed well. There was pink scarring around his left wrist that was still noticeable, but Adam said that he didn't notice any difficulty using his left hand so it was just a cosmetic issue.

There were still a few hours before they had to dress for the wedding. All the decorations and preparations that could be done ahead of time had been made the day before. Hop Sing and some of his cousins were busy in the kitchen preparing food for the dinner later. After the church service, there was to be a reception at Tony's ranch, and then all would go to the Ponderosa for dinner and dancing at the biggest party on the Comstock. The R&D wasn't quite ready yet to host such a large gathering for dinner even though it was traditional for the bride's family to do so. Tony had been grateful when Ben offered his home for the dinner and party.

The Cartwrights decided to spend the next few hours with a ride out to Adam's building site. Work had been going on for nearly a month. Adam had not been happy when Toni had insisted that the crew from her father's ranch could begin construction when Adam was still confined to his home because of his injuries. That had been a 'doozy' of a disagreement according to Hoss who was home when it happened. But the two of them had finally agreed that only the most basic work would be done until Adam could be there to supervise. He had already let the sawmill know what kind of lumber he wanted delivered. He made a supply list based on his house plans, and Toni had it delivered to the shops in town so that appropriate deliveries could be made to the building site.

Each time Ben visited the spot, he had the same thought and said so. "This is a beautiful view son. Every time I come here, I just stand in awe of what God hath wrought here. The two of you are going to be very happy here when the house is finished."

The four men then walked into the frame of the house. They could already picture what it would look like. Adam had designed large windows facing down the hill and the kitchen, dining room, study, and great room had beautiful views. There was an overhang to the south of the bedrooms up above so that the sun would not heat the lower rooms too much in the summer. In addition, there was a balcony outside the master bedroom. On the north side of the great room and of the study, there were large fire places planned that would be reminiscent of the large one in the center of the Ponderosa ranch. The walls of the fireplace chimneys were to be exposed in the bedrooms upstairs to provide radiant heat. There was an additional fireplace in the master bedroom. Adam had placed a large washroom next to the kitchen and a large tub was already in place as well as a small stove for heating water. There was a drain to the outside for ease in emptying the tub. The pump from the well was already in place in the kitchen. The stove and cabinets were to be delivered the following week. With the roof to be finished soon, the exterior walls would be next and then the interior work could begin. Adam was confident they would be in the house shortly after Thanksgiving.

"Adam when I get married, I want you to design a house for me. Would you do that?"

"Joe whenever you decide which of those young ladies you want to marry, I would be happy to design your house, with lots and lots of bedrooms for all the children."

"Adam, I think you made our younger brother start blushing there."

They all laughed. Ben put his hand on Hoss' left shoulder and on Joe's right shoulder.

"And when are the two of you going to ask a lady to marry you? I don't want you to follow your older brother's example and wait until you're thirty-five. I want lots and lots of grandchildren so you better start working on finding the right woman now." That got some rolled eyes and groans from the two younger brothers. "Boys, I'm not joking. I'm serious." And the way he said it, Hoss and Joe couldn't be sure whether he was joking or not.

By then it was time to return to the Ponderosa and dress for the wedding. The men took both the carriage and the surrey into town because Adam would use the surrey to drive Toni to the reception as the others used the carriage. In the back of the carriage, Hoss and Joe had secreted away some decorations they would put on the surrey as soon as Adam headed into the church. At the church, the reverend met them as they arrived and he and Adam walked into the church. Hoss and Joe pulled out blue and white ribbons and began tying them to the surrey and to the harness on the horses. With Ben's help, they attached a blue silk cover over the seat.

Proud of themselves, Hoss and Joe then went into the church to stand with Adam. He had asked both of them to stand with him for his wedding. Toni had not been able to choose one sister over the other to stand with her so she had asked Adam if she could ask both. When she had asked, he had been very pleased because then he could ask both of his brothers to stand with him. He had previously told Hoss that he needed to ask Joe to be his best man, and Hoss had understood and supported him on that decision. Adam had been very happy to tell Hoss later that he wanted him to stand too and he could see that same happiness in Hoss' face when he asked him.

Now the three brothers stood together, and Ben smiled at them as he sat in the first row. As the piano began to play a march, all stood and turned to the rear of the church. First to appear were Toni's sisters in beautiful blue gowns. A very proud Tony marched in after them with Toni on his arm. Toni was wearing a long flowing satin gown with pearls decorating the neckline. It was traditional and elegant. As Tony reached the front of the church, he turned to his daughter, kissed her on the cheek, and took her hand and placed it on Adam's arm. Then he stepped back to stand with Ben. Ben leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"If only their mothers could be here now. They would be so proud."

"I'm sure they are, Ben, I'm sure they are."

The ceremony was traditional. As Adam gave his vows to Toni and she to him, they looked into each other's eyes and were aware of no one else. As Adam slipped the ring on Toni's finger, tears rolled down her cheeks. Adam had shown her the ring the day before. He had wanted her to see the inscription engraved on the inside: Today and forever, I love you. He wanted her to know that so when he slid it onto her finger she would know he pledged himself to her without reservation. After they were declared as husband and wife, Adam kissed his bride. The kiss lasted longer than propriety dictated, but both had waited so long to find the right person there was a lot of emotion in that kiss. There were a lot of tears in the audience. Then there was applause as the kiss ended and the couple turned as husband and wife to face their friends and family.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activity. First the receiving line outside of the church, the rice thrown as they got in the surrey to ride to Tony's ranch, the reception, the dinner later at the Ponderosa, the first dance of the party, and an almost endless supply of congratulations and best wishes. By eight, Toni and Adam were feeling exhausted emotionally. When no one seemed to be noticing, Adam took Toni by the arm and pulled her into the stable. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Do you think we can leave yet? I am so ready to go." Toni's comment brought a smile from Adam.

"I was ready to leave hours ago. I think we can get our fathers to let us go, but first I believe they want to make some toasts. Then they can announce we are leaving. I'll tell Pa we're ready."

Within the hour, Adam and Toni were on their way to the cottage that Joe had built when he thought he would marry Laura. After Laura had died, Joe maintained the cottage hoping to someday make it his home. He had graciously offered it to Adam and Toni to use for their wedding night. The brothers had freshened up the cottage, and Adam had been over earlier in the day with a few deliveries including some food that Hop Sing had prepared for them. When they arrived, Adam asked Toni to remain seated in the surrey while he unhitched the horses and got them in the small corral. Then he got their bags from the back and brought them inside depositing them in the bedroom. He lit a few lamps before hurrying back outside. Toni was sitting in the surrey with a bemused expression. As she stood to get out of the surrey, Adam took her by the waist and lifted her down. He held her close to him and kissed her brushing his lips over hers very gently and then becoming more insistent as their passion built. Picking her up, he carried her over the threshold and kissed her again before carrying her to the bedroom. Toni asked for a little privacy and Adam indicated where a screen was set up for her use. He left to go close and lock the front door and returned to the bedroom, removed his formal wear, and slipped into the bed. After several minutes, Toni came out from behind the screen. She was wearing a beautiful silk gown that had been a present from her sisters. There were three ties in the front to hold it together. She came around to the opposite side of the bed from where Adam was and went to turn down the lamp.

"Please don't. I want to see you." Toni blushed. She was very nervous. She slipped under the covers next to Adam. He slipped an arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"Adam, you're not wearing anything!"

"I never wear anything to bed if it is my choice. I find nightshirts uncomfortable for sleeping." He kissed her then and pulled open the first tie of her gown.

"Adam, I don't know what to do. Teresa talked to me but I've never done anything like this and I have to tell you that I am scared."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, with my life."

"Then you know I would never hurt you. I'll be patient."

About an hour later, Toni's head rested against Adam's shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her. He asked her if she was okay.

"How do married people ever get out of bed. I feel wonderful. Can we just stay here forever?"

"Well as long as forever is over by about six tomorrow when we are due back at the Ponderosa for dinner with our families."

And Adam and Toni finished the first of many days and then years that they would spend as husband and wife.


End file.
